


Crumbling Worlds

by MilouLouise



Category: One Piece
Genre: ...and the Smut will be heavy, Age Difference, Angst, Class Differences, Cracker is kind of a creep in the beginning but he gets better, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Manipulation, OC is a shameless self-insert, Older Man/Younger Woman, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:22:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 91,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24016648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilouLouise/pseuds/MilouLouise
Summary: Finding a place to belong has never been easy for Michelle. Between traveling around the seas with her family and being stuck doing whatever she is told, the young woman desperately seeks to find her own independence and freedom. But at last, all that seems to finally change when she decides to move to Tottoland- a crazy, fairytale-like Kingdom ruled over by none other than one of the most feared pirates in the world. Yet even there, her newfound freedom might just turn out to be short-lived when she suddenly runs into a certain man with sparkly, purple hair...
Relationships: Charlotte Cracker/Original Female Character
Comments: 28
Kudos: 73





	1. A New Dawn

Calm days at sea were a rare thing, especially in a place as crazy and unpredictable as the New World. With the weather often shifting on a whim, and sunny days turning into catastrophically stormy ones within mere moments, it was nice to have a quiet morning for once.

The sun had only just begun to emerge at the horizon, but her light was already enveloping the blue sea in an orange veil. Temperatures were on the rise, indicating that it would get warmer again today. All in all everything was pointing towards a good day to have some fun and be productive.

In the middle of the vast sea, a considerably small ship was just weighing anchor to leave harbor, and the people on board were scurrying around in an early frenzy. Although the day had only just begun, everyone on deck was already busy with preparing the ship for departure from the unusual island it was docked at.

The thick wood that was seperating the upper from the lower deck slightly dampened the volume of their loud noises, but it still didn't manage to blend them out completely. In other words, anyone that was hoping to sleep in today was definitely up for a rude awakening.

Ignoring all the noise from above, a pair of blue eyes curiosly gazed out of a small window and searched around the vast sea, looking for something interesting to focus on. Although... the water itself was already fascinating enough. Because unlike the rest of the ocean, here it wasn't just 'blue'- it was shimmering in a bright shade of aquamarine, almost leaning towards green. And not only was the color unusual, but if you'd believe the stories of the locals, then it's even supposed to taste different. Sweet melon juice- that's what this part of the sea is supposedly made of.

Sounds unbelievable, doesn't it?

Well, if it wasn't for the fact that the island this ship was docked at mostly consisted of buildings and furniture made out of nuts, you might have a point there.

But this wasn't just 'any' island, nor was this just 'any' part of the New World- this was _Tottoland_. A country created and ruled over by one of the most fearsome pirates to ever sail the seas, Big Mom. And this one specific island was just a small part of the large kingdom the ship was currently sailing around.

With a quiet yawn the person with the blue eyes tore her gaze from the window and instead leaned back in her chair to listen to the hustel and bustle upstairs.

 **„We're terribly sorry to see you leave already, good sir!"** the first first voice she managed to make out belonged to one of those small 'Chess Soldiers' that inhabited and patrolled all of Tottoland.

 **„Well my daughter still has to think everything through, especially after what happened. Not to mention that there is still a lot ahead of us!"** this time the voice belonged to her father, which was easily recognized by the louder and deeper tone.

**„Oh, certainly! We shall be waiting for your eventual return, then! ...And hopefully the young Miss won't fall into peanutbutter next time, ahaha!"**

**„Hohoho, I'm positive! She'll take down notes and then decide which place would be the most appropriate and fitting to move to!"**

The young woman gulped at that. Her gaze instinctively wandered down to the open notebook lying on her desk, a guilty frown now on her face.

**Nuts Island**

_Pros: -I don't have a nut allergy_

__

_Cons: -the air smells kinda nutty_

__

_-slippy sidewalks. Appearantly it can rain peanutbutter sometimes...? Watch out for large puddles!_

...That was all that was written on the page. She and her family spend two solid days on this island, but never once did she bother documenting anything of value like she was supposed to. Perhaps she forgot. Or perhaps tripping into a sinkhole just a few minutes after arriving at the island, and getting completely covered in peanutbutter, caused her priorities to change a bit. After all, it took her hours to feel clean again, and even then the nutty smell left on her skin and clothes continously managed to distract her from what she was actually meant to focus on.

With a small shake of her head she closed the notebook again and slowly stood up.

Since blankly staring at the paper wouldn't magically create words, the young woman decided to spend her time doing something more... productive instead. The ship was now in motion, and she could feel how the waves were gently rocking it from side to side. It was something she had long since grown used to, given that she spend almost her entire life sailing across the sea with her family. Her parents were both busy as traveling merchants, and since they never truly stayed in one place for long, she and her brother had grown used to calling this ship their home. Well, at least until now. Because in her case, all of this was going to change soon. No longer would she fall asleep to the feeling of being swayed around by the waves, or the sounds of the ocean moving beneath her cabin.

**No.**

She was going to live in a real place, a real house. And she wasn't going to have her family to keep her awake at night with their screaming, laughing, or whatever emotional frenzy they were usually in. At long last she was grown, able to make her own decisions, and ready to live her own life. And one thing was for sure: Michelle had no intention of spending all of her existence traveling around the seas to sell weird stuff like her parents were.

...But enough of that. With a small smile the young woman strolled over to a large, nearby mirror to take a good look at her appearance. Just to make sure that she was really ready to show her face upstairs. Michelle briefly ran a hand through her short dark-blonde hair, and was for once content to see that her bed head did not have a negative impact on the style she was usually keeping her hair in- which was wild and open. The short blue dress she picked to wear today tightly hugged her upper body and highlighted her petite waist, right before it spread into larger ruffles at the beginning of her hips. All in all Michelle was of average build- some might even say on the skinny side- with curves in (probably) all the right places. Even if she wasn't as beautiful as the Pirate Empress, she definitely wasn't ugly either. As a matter of fact, Michelle genuinely liked the way she looked. She was a young woman, in every way of the word. And at last she could be her own person too. That thought alone caused a smile to appear on her lips, and she quickly gave her reflection a small nod before finally leaving her cabin to head upstairs.

Michelle couldn't help but sigh with delight as she stepped outside and felt the gentle sea breeze tickle her skin. It was still morning, but the air was really nice and warm already. That combined with the pleasant smell of the sweet sea created a truly comforting atmosphere, and if she could she would have wandered over to the railing to dreamingly gaze across the water again. But unfortunately, somebody else already spotted her.

And that person was none other than her mother Marina, who was buzzing around on deck as if she had been up for hours already. She probably just had her coffee, Michelle figured. Her mother was a very energetic, yet considerably small woman. Put next to her daughter, she would only reach her chest. But what Marina lacked in height, she more than made up for with her seemingly endless supply of energy and excitement. And upon spotting her daughter, the middle-aged woman quickly crossed the deck to talk to her.

 **„Oh dear, there you are! I was already wondering when you'd be joining us- and you missed breakfast again!"** she immediately noted in a half-worried half-scolding tone.

Ignoring the second part, Michelle gave her mother a quick smile and simply replied with **'Good Morning'** before looking over the deck to see who else was up. Her younger brother was nowhere in sight, and aside from a few sailors working on the ship, the deck was still fairly empty. Her gaze continued to roam around until she spotted another familiar figure- her father Matthias, who was leaning against the railing with some of the sailors. He was a strong-build man with a rather big stomach and face, but by looking closely, one would also notice the intimidating veins and muscles that were running through his arms. Matthias was the same age as his wife, with both of them being in their mid-forties. And right now he was holding onto a map that pictured the rough layout of Tottoland and its many islands. It was probably to decide on where they would be headed to next, which was something Michelle was actually fairly interested in.

So instead of listening to her mother berate her for skipping out on breakfast again, the young woman quickly waltzed over to join her father's side.

 **„Good Morning Dad!"** she greeted him with a smile, **„where are we sailing today?"**

The bulky man abruptly turned around, and as soon as he noticed his daughter walking up to him, a jolly grin made its way onto his face.

 **„Mhhh, Good Morning and good question, dear! It seems that with the path we're currently taking, we have two options available- Biscuits Island, and Jam Island."** The volume in his voice slightly increased as he talked about the second island, which indicated that he had already picked his favorite.

A thoughtful look appeared on his daughter's face, and she crossed her arms infront of her chest as she pondered about the two options. This wasn't really a big decision per se; seeing how they had planned to check out as many islands as possible anyways, but the young woman definitely had an idea of what she would prefer.

 **„Well, I just got drenched in peanutbutter a few days ago, so I don't think I need the experience of slipping into a jam puddle next."** Michelle replied and awkwardly scratched the back of her head, obviously not keen on reliving that embarrassing memory.

 **„Oh but dear, it seems like the Minister of Jam Island is actually holding a special celebration!"** her father replied and pointed at the drawn picture of said island, **„appearantly those who participate in the 'Home Finding' program are allowed free samples all around town, plus a special tour to visit the main hotspots the island has to offer! Maybe we're lucky and even run into the Minister himself there!"**

 **"Mhh..."** Michelle thought about what her father said for a moment. But before she could even open her mouth to speak again, her mother decide to chirp in on the conversation as well.

 **„Not to mention that the Chess Soldier from Nuts Island also recommended it as next stop! 'After Peanutbutter comes Jam', and we could really use some high-quality jam to stock up on,"** Marina smiled, and her husband immediately nodded in agreement.

**„And did you see?! Appearantly they're working on a new type of jelly as well! If we're lucky, we might even be able to snatch a jar or sample of that!"**

Once again Michelle opened her mouth to speak, but neither one of her parents really seemed to let her add any input. They were far too busy gushing about the new island already.

Not that this was anything new to her- after all, whenever there was a decision to make, her parents were always on it. It was already like this long before they headed to Tottoland, and usually it didn't really bother the young woman. But this was about _her_ finding a new home. And she at least wanted to feel like she contributed to the planning and decisions.

Although Jam Island seemed to have a lot to offer, she would much rather do something a little more...calm. Right now most of the islands were doing those 'special events'- probably in hopes of attracting a bunch of new citizens- and sometimes the cities and towns were so busy that you could barely make out where you were going... Hence why she slipped into that darned puddle a few days ago. The last thing Michelle needed was to be pushed again and get soaked in jam, and a part of the young woman already knew that that was probably going to happen.

Of course her parents were really keen on getting to that special, jam and jelly-filled paradise already.... but after the disastrous visit at Nuts Island, Michelle would rather visit a place that promised a more 'solid' environment. At this rate she would probably need to give in again and let her parents decide, like usual. Unless...

A sudden idea then caused her face to light up.

 **„Well, if you want to get to Jam Island that badly... Then how about you drop me off at Biscuit Island and sail over to that place yourself?"** she suggested, **„that way you guys can have fun and get stocked up on jam, and we could check out two islands at the same time!"** she crossed her arms infront of her chest and proudly looked at her mother and father.

 **„Oh?"** the older man furrowed his brows at his daughter's suggestion, slightly suprised that she would even consider something like that. **"But it's not about us 'having fun', dear, you're supposed to decide where you want to live! So what good would it do to visit an island without you?"** funny he would say that now, considering that they didn't really care much about her opinion on where to sail next a moment ago...

 **„I got my notebook with me to scribble down all the important stuff, and I am confident that you'd get aaall the information necessary from Jam Island, dad! We both know how thorough you are, so it'd be as if I was there myself!"** she replied, the idea was starting to sound better and better in her mind.

 **„Mh... well you do keep me from approaching the people in charge everytime..."** Matthias muttered and scratched his chin, **"I guess we could really gather some more intel for you this way..."**

 **„That's just because I don't think any of the Ministers would have any interest, or the time for a private interview like that!"** Michelle immediately countered. Not to mention that it would be super embarrassing- just the thought of her father dragging her to all of those bigshots in hopes that they would have some time to spare for a nobody like her... No way.

 **„Now don't say that, my dear! Even if they're a bunch of pirates, I'm sure they'll be excited for any new visitors that show an interest in moving to their island! And while Big Mom is running this little event, they should be even more thrilled to have you here!"** her mother noted, before turning to look up at her husband.

 **„Oh but I don't really know about this, Matthias... Letting our child wander off on her own? In a place like this...?"** the worry was obvious in her voice, and Michelle couldn't help but sigh at that.

This whole trip was about her finding her ideal home, yet her mother didn't even want to let her explore the options by herself...? Then how could she handle being permenantly seperated later on?

 **„Come now, mom! I'm old enough to take care of myself! And besides, it'll be like getting two birds with one stone- I even promise to give you a call if anything happens..."** Michelle said, hoping that this would calm down her worried mother. The older woman still didn't seem too convinced, but sighed nonetheless and nodded her head.

**„Fine, I guess there is no harm in trying. This will be your new home after all-,"** she muttered and looked up at her daughter with a scolding glimmer in her eyes, **„but first, you're going to eat breakfeast!"**

Michelle's eyes began to sparkle, and for once she was happy to oblige if this meant she would get to be on her own later on. **"So it's settled then?"**

Both of her parents exchanged a quick look, but then nodded in unison. **"Well, it'll only be for a day anyway..."**

And with that being said, the trip continued. Her father immediately instructed the sailors to head for Biscuit Island next (since he was already confident in setting Jam Island as the next destination), and stayed on deck to properly navigate the crew. After sailing around Tottoland for almost two weeks now, he had gotten used to the unique environment and how to properly sail through these odd waters. 

On their way across the colorful sea they passed by a few Tarte ships, who patrolled the waters and made sure that nothing of note was happening. Appearantly security was spiked up a bit ever since the new 'Home Finding' Event was first announced, but that came as no suprise.

Things got quiet pretty fast again, seeing how everyone had something to do now. Even Michelle's younger brother, Phillip, finally exited his cabin to let the rest of the family know that he was awake. Although he was almost fully grown himself, the boy was still as irresponsible and immature as a five year old. And he obviously had no intention of staying on deck long enough to allow his father to give him a job, and so Phillip simply looked around and asked a sailor about their next destination before retreating back inside once more. His older sister did the same shortly after, only that she was excited to gather her things for the day rather than escape from chores. Yeah it would just be for a day, but any opportunity to get some alone time and explore the new environment on her own was more than welcome to Michelle. Not that she minded having her parents around, but sometimes it could feel more like another family vacation rather than her scouting for a new home- and especially with her father's dominating nature and tendency of making most of the decisions, she was glad to have a chance to do something alone. And she was also grateful that her parents finally trusted her enough to let her be on her own again. After all, this is what her life was supposed to be like from here on out.

Up until now Michelle's days were all about doing chores, occasionally helping her parents with selling their goods, and doing more chores. It wasn't hard or exhausting by any means, but it did lack... excitement. Having the same old routine for years and years might work for the rest of her family, but she wanted more out of her life. And hopefully this would be her big chance to make that dream come true. 

Once everything she needed was thrown into a bag, she headed back upstairs to join her parents once more. By now the sun was already high up in the sky, and the sweet sea beneath them was emitting a stronger smell from being warmed up.

Like usual the rest of their little voyage went without a hitch, and pretty soon Biscuit Island could be seen in the distance. Even after sailing around Tottoland for a while, Michelle and her family couldn't help but get excited whenever they came across a new part of the large territority. Each and every one of the islands was so unique, so different from the previous one, that it never failed to amaze them. This time they were gazing upon what looked like a giant speculoos floating on the sea, with a huge cookie resting ontop of it. How anyone could live in a place like this used to be a mystery to the family, but the people of Tottoland always suprised them with their creativity- from turning a giant peanut into a hotel, to having a mountain made out of cookie dough- just about anything seemed possible here.

 **„Welp, there we have it,"** Matthias said and gently pat his daughter's shoulder as they both gazed across the sea, **„Biscuits Island, aka the ninth island of our journey. This is supposed to be one of the bigger places in all of Tottoland, so you better make sure to get a map at the harbor right away!"**

Michelle nodded dutifully, already smiling with excitement. **„Don't worry dad, I'm gonna be just fine! Perhaps I get lucky and one of the small Chess Soldiers will try to accompany or guide me again,"** she joked and playfully nudged her bigger parent with her elbow, when her mother Marina walked up behind the two.

 **„Remember that we'll be at the harbor at around 9am tomorrow! So whichever hotel or place you choose to stay at, make sure that they don't let you check out too late!"** the older woman muttered, her voice still somewhat heavy with worry. Michelle almost wanted to sigh and roll her eyes at how doubtful her mother sounded, but decided to try and reassure her instead.

 **„Of course, mom. I'll make sure to pick a place close to the harbor!"** she said and offered her mother happy smile, **„you guys just make sure to enjoy Jam Island, yeah?"**

That seemed to help calm Marina down a bit, and this time she wasted not time with returning her daughter's smile.

 **„Hah, oh you're a big girl already, so I'm sure it'll be okay!"** ...it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself rather than her daughter, but Michelle acknowledged her mother's attempt to see things more positively.

And just a few moments later, one of the sailors walked across the deck to loudly announce their upcoming arrival at the island. Unlike Nuts Island, the harbor here was a bit more far out and Michelle could only recognize the rough outlines of the town nearby. Mhh, looks like I'll have to walk a bit to reach the actual city... She thought to herself and roamed through her little traveler bag one last time to make sure that she didn't forget anything. Notebook? _Check_. Money? _Check_. Pajamas? _Check_. A new pair of underwear? _Of course_. Yep, that seemed about right. **"And remember, it's just for a day!"** she repeated one more time, to which her parents nodded.

 **"Should be more than enough for you to gather the information you need,"** Matthias said before offering his daughter one last smile, **"don't forget, Tottoland will be your home soon. So try to find out a bit about the people you'll be living with too, yeah?"**

Michelle forcefully nodded at that, but deep down she already knew that that wasn't going to happen. As long as she could avoid it, socializing would not be an option for her. Although, if she truly wanted to live on her own, she wouldn't be able to dance around it forever either... well, someday that'll change, but not today. She was sure of that. But before the young woman could further sulk on that topic, another sailor ran across the deck and yelled that they were only minutes away from docking at the harbor.

 **„Well then, guess that's my cue!"** Michelle announced with excitement and tightly held onto her little bag, ready to finally disembark on her little adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: At last here it is, the madness is about to begin xD I haven't written a fanfiction or longer story in forever, so I really want to apologize for any mistakes! What can I say, I've gotten quite rusty and need to find my way back into writing longer stuff again *cough cough*. Huhu but this is something I had planned for a long time already, and I'm super excited to finally publish it :'D I really hope the prologue is somewhat enjoyable- and feedback is always appreciated<3! This story can also be found on Wattpad under the same title~


	2. Unusual Meeting

...Turns out that seperating from her family wasn't really such a brilliant idea after all. 

Only a few minutes after Michelle bid her (temporary) farewells and left shore, she was completely lost already. That's all it took. Her father really didn't lie when he said that Biscuits Island was one of the bigger islands in all of Tottoland- their prior stop, Nuts Island, wasn't small by any means, but it was noticeably smaller than this place. The harbor alone was already bigger than any the young woman had seen before, and although she managed to find a billboard with a big map of the island shortly after departing from her family, it didn't really do her any good in the end. No map could help her navigate through this large place on her own.

Biscuits Island's port was enormous and had multiple roads that either lead to large warehouses, other docks, or into a nearby town. And on top of that everyone was rather busy today, and the masses of people that scurried along the roads made finding her way even more difficult. But of course she wasn't going to give up just minutes after arriving. Not that she had much of a choice either, considering that her parents' ship was already on its way to Jam Island. It was time to improvise.

Michelle quickly discovered that the only thing that seemed to offer her some sort of guidance was the gigantic cookie in the middle of the island, and by looking at it the young woman could at least estimate where the center of Biscuit Island was. This could help her to remember where the port was located, so she would have a better chance at finding her way back later on. And perhaps it could be her closest way to town too, and if she was in luck and ran into one of the smaller Chess Soldiers that usually patrolled the streets, she might be able to get herself a proper guide after all!

That thought helped her relax a little. After her initial worry Michelle managed to calm herself down again, and decided to focus on finding a proper hotel to stay at first. Luckily the town didn't seem too far away, so she might be able to make the best out of this. And with that in mind, she went off into the unknown.

Although she had no idea of where exactly she was headed, the young woman did appreciate the nice environment she was currently in. Once again this island had its very own unique flair, and instead of peanuts or chocolate, most of the buildings were almost completely made out of cookies here. Some even resembled gingerbread houses you would usually find in fairytale storybooks, and the air was filled with the scents of different spices and the smell of freshly baked biscuits. Everything felt warm and inviting, and usually Michelle would have taken her time to properly enjoy the nice atmosphere- but getting some sense of direction and a rough overview of her surroundings came first. Unfortunately though, most of the houses and neighbourhoods were eerily similiar to one another, which of course was another prime reasons why she was having such a hard time keeping track of where she was going. Michelle quickly came to the conclusion that whoever was in charge here must be a huge fan of keeping things strictly in order.

But eventually and after what felt like hours of aimlessly strolling around, she finally reached the inner districts of the nearby town. Streets were now filled with people running in and out of shops or cafes, and flower homies were chanting their happy songs at the corners of the road. Once again, it was almost like a scene straight out of a fairytale. _Perhaps being a little lost isn't such a bad thing... at least I can truly explore this place at my own pace! And as long as I keep an eye on that huge cookie and remember where the harbor is, I should be fine!_ she mused, a small smile now on her lips. After all, there were definitely worse places to lose your orientation in.

~*~

At the exact same time and only a few buildings away, another person was roaming through the streets as well. But unlike the young woman, this person knew exactly where he was heading to, and did so with utmost confidence. The man was someone so tall that he was basically towering over the average-sized human and most citizens of the island. There was a certain air of danger around him, and the people in his path quickly made way to give him more space. It was quite obvious that whoever this man was, he meant business. An unsettlingly large grin was plastered on his face as he tapped his fingers against the large hilt of an oversized sword he carried on his shoulders. Today was going to be a good day for him, he was sure of that.

~*~

It didn't take long until Michelle's initial wonder and excitement turned into fearful panic and worry. She was still wandering through the streets without any real sense of direction, only this time it felt like she wasn't even advancing anymore.

**„Wait a minute... oh no, I think I've been here already!"**

Despite its beautiful appearance, this place was definitely far worse to navigate than Nuts Island. With the buildings looking almost the same, Michelle was initially convinced that she just kept on wandering around the same streets over and over again- but the giant cookie that used to be in the center of her sight was now on her right, meaning that she must have strayed away from the harbor and her initial path after all. And to make matters worse, more and more people were scurrying through the streets now, which made turning around to find her way even harder. By now she must have unconsciously reached a very busy part of the city, and the young woman felt completely overpowered by the large mix of people pooling in around her. But as if that wasn't already bad enough, all the aimless wandering caused her injured hip(*) to tense up as well, which in return triggered a sharp pain to run through her body with almost every step she took.

**„Dammit! I need to find a place to sit down soon..."** the young woman winced with embarrassment as she continued through the streets, now limping a bit

~*~

Everyone was happy, everyone was content- as they should be. After all, the people of Biscuits island lived in utmost comfort thanks to _his_ protection, and because of his special powers even the buildings they resided in were constructed to be nearly indestructible. Days like this offered a great opportunity for him to just roam the streets and relish in all the awe and respect his citizens showed him. It was nice sometimes, and today he really needed to soak in all the attention to hopefully get his mind off of certain things.

His magenta eyes scanned through the streets of Cookie Town as if he was looking for something to pique his interest. Lately there have been cases of other pirates attempting to invade the country under the impression that they wanted to take part in the new 'Moving Event', and whenever that happened he was more than eager to find those wannabe invaders and squash them immediately. It was like a new kind of hunting sport that he and some of his siblings took part in. To him, there was almost nothing more satisfying than eliminating some rookie's stupid ambitions and showing them their rightful place.

And talking about odd visitors... Suddenly, something at the corner of his eyes caught his attention. It looked like a young woman- he couldn't really make out her face- who was wandering through the streets in a rather... peculiar fashion.

It was almost pitiful to watch; she obviously didn't know where she was going, and for a second it even looked as if she was about walk around the very same house she just passed a moment ago. Like a sheep that had lost its herd. 

...Or like an intruder that might have lost her team and was now circling around the same spot in hopes of finding her fellow crewmates again.

Either way, he was curious enough to check out what was going on. With a low chuckle the tall man changed his path, and now headed straight into her direction.

~*~

**"This day just can't get any worse..."** Michelle muttered to herself, one hand on her hurting hip for support, and the other one tangled up in her short locks as a sign of desperation. There was no doubt about, she passed this house before. Was she really just walking in circles? Where was the road she took from the harbor? Damn it, and why did all the buildings look so similiar...?

**„Are you lost, little one?"**

Suddenly, the sound of a deep voice from behind her ripped Michelle out of her thoughts. Was... was someone talking to her...? For a moment she wasn't sure on what to do, but upon looking down, she noticed how a large shadow was swallowing up her own. Yep, someone was definitely behind her. Did her clueless behaviour attract one of the locals...? She slowly turned around to face whoever it was that had approached her, silently hoping for it to be a Soldier who might be able to help her out...

However, her hope quickly turned into shock as she came face to face with someone's lower abdomen. Or more precisely, someone's groin.

**„AHHH!"** the young woman tumbled backwards, which almost ended in her falling, and a deep blush appeared on her cheeks almost immediately. If she had taken one single step backwards, she might have bumped into someone's... oh lord.

**„I-I'm sorry, terribly sorry! I didn't mean to, I..."** Michelle was flustered beyond belief and kept her gaze focussed on the ground, not wanting to face the stranger after her silly reaction. The tall man's mouth simply tugged upwards into an amused grin as he looked down at the now awfully embarrassed young woman.

To a normal human she might be slightly taller than average, but to him she was just a little thing. Her head reached just above his biscuit-adorned belt, which was precisely what must have startled her when she turned around. But her embarrassment amused him quite a lot, especially when he noticed the deep red hue that had already formed on her cheeks. His pink gaze then wandered down from her face and up and down her body, so he could get a better look at who he was dealing with here.

The girl was rather slim and very youthful looking, with rosy lips and big blue eyes that were still focussed on the ground. Her body was nice and well-developed, especially her long pair of legs immediately caught his attention. Right off the bat, she wouldn't strike him as someone who bears any ill intention or might possibly pose a threat to the country- but during times like this, you could never be careful enough.

**„And just who might you be...? I don't recall ever seeing you around."** the tall man asked, his inhumanely large grin still fully intact. Michelle nervously brushed over her dress and swallowed hard at his question and the intimidating tone of his voice. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the way this stranger spoke to her sounded oddly dangerous- almost as if he was about to interrogate her. Unsure on what to do, the young woman took a deep breath before lifting up her gaze to finally take a look at who was standing infront of her. 

And safe to say, his enormous height wasn't the only odd thing about him. The stranger was a very muscular man who kept his torso exposed and bared for everyone to see, with only a single large pauldron and cape draped onto his shoulders. His lower abdomen- which Michelle almost came into contact with a few moments ago- was covered by a pair of dark purple pants and a belt adorned with what looked like normal biscuits. A large scar ran down the right side of his face, but the weirdest thing about his whole appearance was the odd style he kept his air in- there was a large, baguette-like bun at the top, and two long strands of braided hair at each side of his head. And... oh dear... was she just imagining this, or was his hair actually on fire?! For a moment Michelle's embarrassment turned into confusion as she gawked at the sparks that seemed to come from the tips of his two weird hair strands.

Yet the most unsettling part about him, aside from his huge grin, was the giant sword that he carried on his shoulder. It was almost twice her size and the sharp blade twinkled dangerously in the harsh sunlight, which caused Michelle to gulp once more. Oh shit. What did she get herself into now...? 

Unfortunately there was no time to properly compose herself since the tall man was obviously expecting an answer to his question.

**„Oh, ehm, you probably never saw me before because I don't live here! ...yet,"** she quickly replied, now a little nervous as the stranger started to tap his sword against his shoulder, **„I actually just got here. Me and my family are scouting the islands to find me a proper place to live.... it's, ehm, the new moving system...?"**

_Ah._ That appearantly rung a bell, and the man stopped tapping his sword against his shoulder. It seemed impossible, but his already large grin grew even wider.

**„Ahhh, a newcomer! Of course, I should have figured it out by the way you were tumbling around,"** he snickered, **„Isn't it generous of Mama to let people choose their own place to live at~?"**

The threatening undertone in his voice was diminishing, and in return Michelle could feel how a wave of tension left her body. **„Oh of course, it sure is!"** she quickly nodded her head and tried to crack a smile to show her 'enthusiasm'.

Now both her and the man had grown silent. He didn't seem as on-guard anymore but was still looking down at her with his creepily large grin, which caused Michelle to look down at the ground again. Neither one was saying anything, and things were starting to get kind of awkward. The young woman was trying to come up with a good excuse to leave, but before she could really sort out her thoughts, he spoke up again.

**„You should be careful, little one. Wandering around all on your own, without any orientation or a guide... it'd be an easy thing for someone to just snatch you away, and no one would even notice."**

Oh shit. Her eyes widened as those words were enough to strike panic into her whole being once more. His giant sword was still twinkling at her, and Michelle quickly looked around to see if there was anyone around to watch. But strangely enough, all of the people that were previously wandering through the streets seemed to walk on different paths now, and it almost looked like they were purposefully avoiding her and the strange man. What was going on? Was this man joking, or was he planning to do something to her...? And if he did, would anyone even help her...? A single drop of sweat ran down her forehead, she was obviously shaken by his words.

But just a moment later the tall man broke out in a loud chuckle, seemingly amused by his own little 'joke' or whatever this was supposed to be.

This encounter was getting extremely weird and uncomfortable, and if she could, Michelle would run away right about now- but something at the back of her head kept her from doing so. As creepy as he was, this man had reached out and started to talk with her, which 1. wasn't something she would have ever done on her own and 2. might be a good opportunity to get some help on finding her way back to the harbor. Yeah. After all, he was wearing a biscuit belt- so he must be some sort of citizen, right? In other words, this could be her best shot at getting back to where she started.

After taking a deep breath, the young woman mustered up all of her courage and looked up at the strange man again. It was obvious that she was still nervous, but that wasn't going to stop her now.

**„So, Sir... uhm, you know your way around here, right?"**

he chuckled darkly in return. Part of her already regretted asking.

**„I suppose you could say that, little one."**

_Alright,_ Michelle thought to herself with slight relief, _so far so good._

**„Then... do you think you could describe the way to the harbor for me...?"**

His expression changed a bit and he now looked down at her with a mild sense of curiosity. **„Oh? Leaving so soon already?"**

The young woman reached up with her hand to scratch the back of her head, a little embarrassed to admit her real reason. But whatever, lying was probably not a good idea right now. **„Ehm... no. But there was a billboard with a map of the island at the docks... and it might be my best shot at getting some sort of orientation again."** she admitted in a half-mumbling voice, **"Because I... I kinda got lost."**

Once again, the tall man chuckled.

**„Oh I see how it is,"** he replied with a sly smirk, **"Well, as a matter of fact, I was just on my way to pick up something from a cafe close to the harbor. I don't really have anything else to do today, so I guess I could describe the way back to you. You got a pen on you, little one?"**

Michelle perked up at that. **"You're on your way to the harbor...?"** Okay. This actually sounded like a really good opportunity. On one hand, this guy was kind of creepy and pretty damn intimidating. But on the other hand... he was obviously a local and also heading to where she wanted to go. Perhaps he could even give her some advice on nearby hotels or how she could prevent herself from getting lost again! The pros outweighted the cons on that one, and seeing how aimlessly tumbling around didn't do her any good until now, she might as well take her chances. A small red hue appeared on her cheeks as she brushed a strand of hair out of her face, mentally mustering up all of her courage again to voice her idea.

**"Then... would you mind taking me along, Sir? I really don't want to get lost again, and unfortunately I don't think a hand-drawn map will work for me."**

It was really quite unusual for Michelle to approach someone and ask for help like that- after all, she usually had her father around to do this for her. But she also needed to learn to do things like this on her own, if she really wanted to live by herself. And it shouldn't be that hard, right? Asking for help was a normal thing... And luckily, it seemed like the tall man wasn't that opposed to her suggestion.

In fact he started to creepily grin again, almost as if he had already expected her to ask.

**"Mh... I suppose you could tag along. If you can keep up, that is,"** a playful hum left his lips as he looked at the young woman one more time. For a moment his pink gaze met her blue one, and it almost felt as if he was searching her eyes for some hidden intentions. But Michelle quickly turned her head to the side, unable to retain eye contact with the stranger. **"Lucky for you, the harbor isn't far away. Follow me."** he announced before turning around and letting his cape sway after him in a dramatic fashion.

And with that, they were off.

In the end Michelle was more than relieved to have someone to guide her, even if keeping up with the tall man's pace was kind of difficult. He was walking through the streets with utmost confidence, and although she was making sure to focus on staying close to him, the young woman also took this chance to look around the buildings more properly. This really seemed like a nice place to live, or at least she could visit it more frequently in the future... she smiled to herself and continued to gaze around with amazement.

But suddenly she could hear some very loud footsteps approaching, and just a second later a gigantic and extremely brutish looking warrior emerged infront of them. Aside from her 'guide' everyone else stepped aside to make way for him, and Michelle quickly did so as well. However, something about this huge man looked awfully familiar... like she had seen him once before... suddenly, a light went up inside her.

**"Ah yes! I remember!"** without slowing down, Michelle roamed through her bag and pulled out a small notebook. She quickly flipped through the pages while still trying to watch her step and keep up with her 'guide', who continued to march through the streets at a fast pace. An excited hum then left her lips as she reached the still empty part of the book that was dedicated to Biscuits Island, and she quickly pulled out a wrinkled Wanted Poster that was folded in between the pages. She knew the gruff-looking warrior seemed familiar somehow- he was the man in charge of Biscuits Island!

**„Aha! Appearantly, the name of the Minister here is Cracker..."** she whispered to herself and quickly turned around for a moment to catch another glimpse of the giant man that had just passed them. It was the first time that she got close to a heavy weight of the Big Mom Pirates like that, and part of her was oddly excited at the thought that she almost crossed paths with a Commander just now. What a huge and scary-looking man... well, I suddenly won't be approaching him, that's for sure! the young woman mused and shook her head, silently wondering how her father could even expect her to talk to people as intimidating as that guy.

She turned around and was just about to pick up her pace again, when she almost collided with her 'guide' and his leg. He must have stopped as well and was now staring down at the notebook in her hands- or more precisely, the Wanted Poster.

**„Why do you have a wanted poster of... the Minister?"** he asked, his voice suprisingly void of emotion and his grin flattened into a thin frown. There was a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes, and Michelle felt kind of nervous now that she had the stranger's full attention again.

**„Ahh, yeah, well! My father is rather...straightforward, and told me to keep a lookout for the Minister! He's convinced that the best way to get some good information is to approach the people in charge, so he collected the Wanted Posters of the most influental people in Tottoland,"** she replied sheepishly and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, **"It's all so I can learn more about the islands and such..."** of course she was way too shy to even just think about approaching one of those heavy weights herself, but if it made her father happy, she would at least pretend to be on the lookout. And now that she saw one of the Ministers herself, she was even more certain that there was no way she could talk to someone important like that. What if they were all huge and intimidating like him...?

**„Mh... smart idea."** the tall man simply replied and chuckled to himself, almost as if he knew something she didn't. But Michelle didn't really want to go into more detail with the stranger, so she choose to remain quiet instead. Luckily his initial curiosity quickly disappeared again and he turned around to continue once more.

The rest of the walk was completely silent, and just as the mysterious man had promised, they reached the harbor in little to no time. And much to her suprise, Michelle actually managed to recognize some of the buildings she had previously passed and almost remembered where her parents' ship was docked at! Man, and here I thought I already ventured deep into the city... but it looks like I was really just walking in circles after all! Michelle sighed to herself, half-relieved and half-embarrassed. Well, it was at least something. She scratched the back of her head before turning to look up at her 'guide' with a grateful smile.

**"Okay, I think I can take it from here. Thank you so much for showing me the way back, Sir! Without your help, it might have taken me hours to get here on my own... I genuinely appeciate it!"**

**"Huh? Oh, it's nothing,"** he winked with a grin before pointing at a small building to his right, **"as I mentioned before, it just so happens that there was something I meant to pick up here as well, so it's all good."** Michelle's gaze followed his finger and she looked at the building he was pointing at. It appeared to be some sort of cafe mixed with a souvenir shop and outdoor garden.

**"Come to think,"** the tall man continued and grinned down at her, **"they sell some of the best biscuits over there. So if you really want a taste of the island, it'd probably be a wise decision to start there!"** he added, and this time there was a certain sense of pride in his voice.

**"Really?!?"** the young woman replied and tapped a finger against her chin with an excited expression. Trying some of the island's signature dish was definitely high on her to-do list, **"well, I guess I am sort of hungry. And getting some special treats sounds pretty neat!"** maybe I could even get something for my family! she thought with a smile, but then another thought hit her. But what about finding a hotel...? Shouldn't she take care of that first? 

The tall man noticed the thoughtful look on her face and impatiently clicked his tongue before 'sheating' his sword behind his hip. **"Heh, and not only do they have good biscuits, but the people working there are also sort of tourist guides. They might be able to help you so you won't get lost around here anymore, little one~."** he exclaimed and gave her a small wave to signal her that she should follow him, **"come now. I've taken you this far, so I suppose we can continue together for a little longer."**

**"Mh... alright Sir!"** she was still a little hesitant, but Michelle agreed nonetheless and quickly walked up behind him. He's been helping her so much already, so why not? And if what he said was true and the people were really guides as well, she could probably even take care of multiple things at once! 

The little building he lead her to was pretty cute on the outside, but even more dazzling on the inside. It was her first time entering a house on Biscuits Island, and once again she was amazed by the creativity and food-themed interior most places in Tottoland had to offer. The walls were covered with what Michelle assumed to be hardened, purple frosting, and there were little sugar cookies in the shapes of stars and half-moons embedded into it. Altogether it reminded her of a more cutesy and simple version of a starry night sky, which she thought to be a pretty unique and adorable idea for the interior of a souvenir shop. The shelves were filled with all sorts of delicious-looking treats, and aside from the usual chocolate and candy you could buy pretty much everywhere, the major focus was on biscuits and cookies, of course. There were biscuits in the shape of animals, biscuits filled with special jams or creams, and even special biscuit furniture and music instruments as well! 

While the young woman was marvelling at all the different items, the man that had been guiding her so far quickly waltzed over to the counter to take care of his own business. And the owner, who seemed to have expected his arrival already, quickly handed him three large boxes neatly wrapped up in purple gift paper. The packages were presumably filled with biscuits the tall man had ordered for himself, and as soon as he received his order from the slightly shaking cashier, he waved the young woman over as well.

**"Come here, little one! I got something good to show you~!"**

Upon hearing him call her over Michelle immediately tore her attention from the biscuit teddybear she had been eyeing, and hurried over to the counter with high curiosity. The purple-haired man had the usual wide grin dancing on his lips as he pointed at a shelf filled with golden-brown biscuits behind the counter.

**"There you have it- some of the best biscuits you could ever hope to find,"** he announced proudly while Michelle looked up at the aforementioned treats, **"and for a good price as well... heh, even the average citizen is more than able to afford some!"** he added with a cheeky smile before turning to the old man standing behind the counter- who, to Michelle, seemed oddly shaken and almost a bit scared for some reason.

**"Wrap up a box for the girl too, yes?"** the purple-haired man already commanded, although Michelle herself didn't even agree to the purchase yet. Naturally she was intrigued and therefore decided not to speak up, especially since the tall man's dominating personality really seemed to affect the people around him. Including herself. She wanted to try the biscuits no doubt, but even if she didn't, there was no way she could have mustered up the courage to say so. Instead she squeaked out a soft **"Thank you"** and roamed through her bag to pull out her purse, since her 'guide' probably had no intention of buying the treats he ordered for her. Not that she would have wanted him to anyway.

After the old cashier prepared a little box filled with biscuits and Michelle payed for them, the tall man lead her outside and to a nearby bench situated right next to the building. It was part of a tiny garden attached to the shop, and some flower homies around them were already chanting their usual songs again.

Michelle was more than grateful for an opportunity to sit down, especially since her hip had started to hurt even worse from all the walking. A little break was just what she needed. But before she could really relax she had to quickly scoot over on the bench, so her big companion had more than enough space to sit down as well and wouldn't be forced to press himself against her. And he wasted no time with plopping down next to the young woman, while holding his three biscuit boxes in one hand, and the hilt of his large sword in the other. Not wanting to stare at the large blade again, Michelle pressed her legs together and choose to look down at the little gift wrapped box she had just purchased instead. The packing itself was definitely not as complex as his beautiful gift-wrapped ones; in her case it was just a simple brown box with a cute purple ribbon wrapped around it.

**"Mh..."** the young woman gently tugged on and played around with the ribbon for a bit, when a moment later the tall man spoke up again.

**"So? Aren't you going to try them?"** he asked with a sly smirk and pointed at the item in her hands, which caught the young woman a little offguard. She hadn't really planned on eating the biscuits right away, but having a little taste probably wouldn't hurt.

**"O-Oh! Sure!"** she smiled awkwardly before strongly tugging at the ribbon to loosen it, and then opened the box to take out one of the biscuits. Michelle was almost a little disappointed when she noticed that the biscuits had the exact same square-shape as every other one she tasted so far- considering all the whacky designs the store had to offer, she had expected something a little more... Exciting. But regardless, if her 'guide' had praised them to be some of the best biscuits anyone could buy with money, then they must be good. And although Michelle hated eating while someone was watching her, she did her best to ignore the tall man's burning gaze and quickly picked up a biscuit to take a small test bite. And safe to say, the cookie did not disappoint. Her face quickly lit up as the sweet and buttery taste hit her tongue. Yep, this was positively delicious.

**"Mhh, these are really good! You were right, Sir!"** she announced happily before taking another bite, while the man next to her smirked condenscendingly. **"Hehe, of course! No one else knows their way around biscuits like I do..."**

Michelle couldn't help but smile at that. Although he still creeped her out a little, all the help he had given her really caused the girl to feel a little more comfortable. And slowly but surely, she was starting to relax around the tall man. 

Their following conversation mostly consisted of quick smalltalk, with the swordsman continously glancing over at the woman's biscuit box every now and then. Obviously he had no intention of opening his own neatly wrapped-up packages; and seeing how it was basically thanks to him that she even found these treats in the first place, he thought that he was more than deserving of a little reward by now.

Michelle was still munching on her first biscuit when the tall man suddenly held out one of his large hands and looked at the young woman with an expectantly expression. To a normal person, it would have been pretty obvious what he wanted. But this was Michelle we're talking about. Confused as to why he suddenly held out his hand like this, Michelle's gaze wandered from his gloved fingers up to his face and back a couple of times. It was quite clear that she was more than a little confused. Did he want...?

**"Ehm... a-alright..."**

Without giving it much of a second thought, the young woman reached out to grab his large hand in her own smaller one, and gave it a good shake. How weird... why would he want to shake hands now? she mused to herself, but quickly shrugged it off again. The tall man however couldn't help but blink in bewilderment, obviously confused as to what made her think he was asking for a handshake. Michelle didn't even realize her mistake until she looked up and noticed the obvious confusion on his face, which quickly caused her to pull her hand back again. **"Uhm...! I-I..."** it only took seconds for her face to heat up again, and she immediately turned her head to the side to avoid his gaze.

His initiate confusion was quickly replaced with amusement as he noticed her flustered expression, and his lips curled up into a devilish grin again. 

**"Heh, well aren't you a weird little one..."**

Unable to and not wanting to speak after this embarrassing incident, Michelle simply continued to munch on her biscuits in hopes that they would ignore this and remain silent until she was finished. But unfortunately, the man had other plans. Slowly he started to shift around next to her, and a small chuckle left his lips.

**"So, if I remember correctly, you said your father likes to approach the people in charge here, right?"** he asked, and although she wasn't looking at him, she could tell that he was probably grinning down at her again. There was something different about his voice now. He sounded... excited? Almost thrilled?

**"Y-Yeah,"** Michelle replied shyly, her eyes still focussed on the ground, **"he and the rest of my family are exploring another island right now, and knowing my dad, he'll probably wander around to search for the Minister again."** not sure on where exactly this conversation was going, Michelle stopped eating her biscuits and quickly closed the box again. It was quiet for a moment, but then the man next to her spoke up again. And he definitely sounded more than excited this time.

**„...Well then, I'm sure my siblings would be more than happy to advertise their islands at any given opportunity!"** he announced and then added in a low voice, **"I know I'm having a blast with it."**

It took her a moment to process what he was talking about, but the second she understood the meaning behind his words, Michelle almost dropped her biscuit box. What... What did he just say...?

**„Wait, y-your siblings...? Then does that mean-"** her eyes immediately widened as she finally realized who she might be talking to here. Her body grew tense and all color left her face. Could this man be- 

**„Sir, I-... I'm a bit afraid to ask, but... does this mean you're one of Big Mom's children?!"**

The crack in her voice and shocked look on her face caused him to erupt into loud laughter, as he was clearly amused by her terrified reaction.

**„Hehehe, ohhh I certainly am! You should feel honored, little one- because you're in the presence of none other than Charlotte Cracker!"**

He was right. This was definitely a good day for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: *GASP*! What a twist! Who would have thought... xD? Cracker is such a dramatic tease lol, keeping his true identity 'secret' until the very end :'D
> 
> Ahem, so far the chapters turn out a lot more lengthy than I had initially planned, so feel free to tell me if that's bothering anyone! This chapter alone is almost 6500 words, and I even cut out some parts to save for the next one already ;v; mhhhhhhhh. Also, I'm thinking about switching between different point of views in the future, so it might be easier to directly see what's going on inside of Michelle and Cracker's minds xD But I'm not 100% sure on that one yet!
> 
> Next chapter will include a bit more information on the 'Moving System' as well as Cracker's position/possible motives. And of course, Michelle dealing with the sudden revelation that she accidentally shook the hand of a heavyweight pirate! Hhhhh, it's gonna be exciting!!!
> 
> **(*) Michelle suffers from a certain physical condition due to a past accident, but that will be further explored in the future~**


	3. Biscuits and Jam

Michelle's thoughts were running wild inside her mind while the man infront of her continued to chuckle devilishly. He was kidding. _He must be kidding._ A cold shiver ran through her body and she pointed a shaking finger at him, still struggling to form a proper sentence. There was no way that the man she bumped into by accident, the man that guided her to the harbor, the man whose hand she just shook- was actually the Minister.

...Right?

**„Y-You're... you're Cracker?!"** was the first thing she managed to get out in a choked gasp, her throat feeling awfully dry all of a sudden.

**„Indeed I am! Charlotte Cracker, The Knight of Biscuits, 'Thousand Arms'... whatever suits you best."** he exclaimed dramatically and shamelessly reached out to grab her biscuit box so he could finally help himself to one of the delicious treats inside. Michelle didn't even notice it, her mind was still preoccupied with processing that the man sitting right next to her... was Charlotte Cracker. For a second the young woman felt incredibly stupid for not asking him about his name or who he was earlier, since that might have prevented this shocking reveal in the first place. So, if this was really Cracker, then it was also the first time she ever met a Minister. Not just that, he was also one of Big Mom's feared Sweet Commander ontop of it. A man with a bounty high enough to pay for all of her life's expenses, and even those of her family. Did she really just run into such a big shot without even noticing, or thinking about it...? 

However, that wasn't the only thing striking her as unbelievable- because if he was Cracker, then who-

**„Wait- but that can't be right,"** Michelle slowly furrowed her brows and shook her head, now even more confused than before, **„we ran into the Minister, Cracker, earlier today! He was that big, mean-looking warrior with the... funky helmet and long beard! Yeah!"** she retorted, and her hands quickly went into her bag to pull out the Wanted Poster of said pirate so she could hold it up infront of this 'Cracker'.

**„S-See?!"**

The tall man simply eyed the poster with a mischievious glimmer in his eyes and took a bite out of the biscuit he just snatched.

**„Mhhh, seeing how you'll soon be my citizen, I suppose it wouldn't be appropriate to keep such obvious secrets from you, little one,"** he chuckled darkly, and his grin widened as he quickly swallowed the biscuit and raised his hands to demonstratively start clapping them together infront of his face. At this point Michelle's confusion had reached a peak she didn't even know existed. The young woman followed his movement with her eyes and couldn't resist cocking an eyebrow at what he was doing. Is he applauding himself? or- 

But before she could finish that thought, a huge biscuit suddenly popped out of seemingly nowhere and hovered right infront of her face. **"What the-?!"** Michelle instinctively recoiled as the treat floated in mid-air, a suprised gasp leaving her lips. What is going on here?!

Amused by her shocked reaction, the pirate continued to clap his hands as the biscuit slowly changed its shape and turned into dust, which then swirled around until what appeared to be a large head was formed. He could tell by the way her expression changed that the young woman slowly began to understand what he was going for, or at least he hoped that it would dawn on her soon so he wouldn't need to explain everything in greater detail.

**„You see this? This is the face of my 'armor' which I usually inhabite!"** he explained, the grin never once leaving his face, **„hehe, or rather, the 'Cracker' everyone outside of Tottoland believes to know!"**

Michelle's mouth hung wide open as she stared at the biscuit, which was now molded into a perfect copy of the face of the man she saw earlier today.

**„I usually don't leave Tottoland that often, especially since my soldiers are valuable assets for keeping the kingdom's security in check,"** Cracker continued to explain as the warrior's face crumbled up into dust again and he ceased his clapping to grab another biscuit from the box, **„so not many can claim to know my true appearance!"**

The wheels in her head started to turn and slowly but surely, she realized what this all meant. He must have Devil Fruit Powers!

**„But... how?!"** although she was still skeptical, Michelle couldn't hide the obvious curiosity in her voice. Which somewhat delighted Cracker, who now seemed more than eager to further elaborate.

**„A long time ago I ate the Bis Bis Fruit, which makes me a Biscuithuman! By clapping my hands like that I am capable of creating all sorts of objects out of biscuits, including life-like soldiers!"** he proudly announced and smirked at the young woman, convinced that she now understood the genius behind his ability.

And maybe it was because she was still a little starstruck from realizing that she was talking to one of Tottoland's biggest 'celebrities' just a moment ago, or because she just saw a Devil Fruit ability up close, but most of Michelle's previous worries were now replaced with a new sense of excitement.

**„That's... that's such a cool way to use an ability like that!"** she said and looked back at the Wanted Poster in her hands, **"a Biscuit Fruit... so instead of using it to make tasty treats, you can use that power to trick and mislead others about your appearance? How inventive!"**

**„Oh, it certainly is! My biscuits are also harder than steel, so by hiding within them I'm more than able to protect myself from any sort of pain as well!"** Cracker replied, happy to soak up all the praise and awe the young woman was showering him with.

The mood was taking a turn for the better, and for a second Michelle could feel herself relax a bit again. But then, something else hit her. Learning more about him and his powers was pretty intriguing, but come to think... Why was he even telling her all of this in the first place?!

For some odd reason it seemed like the Minister was more than happy to talk about himself and share all of this information, but... wasn't that kind of stuff usually classified?! Especially the trick with his 'soldier armor'? Now it slowly started to make her slightly uncomfortable that he talked about his 'secrets' so openly, especially considering that she was... well, still a stranger. Why would he tell her about all those things...? Or does everyone who lives here know about this? But even then... what if someone decided to leak this information to the enemy....?

As if he could read her thoughts, a sinister smirk spread across Cracker's face and he scooted a little closer so that his shadow was now looming over her, just like it did when they first met.

**„...And naturally, the people of Tottoland are expected to live here for all of their lives, and therefore wouldn't even think about snitching such things to the outside world."** the threatening undertone in his voice was undeniable, almost as if he was trying to tell her that there was no way anyone- including her- can come clean about this. And one could only imagine what might happen if someone really decided to betray Tottoland- no, the Big Mom Pirates- in such a manner... Of course she heard stories and examples of their cruelty, so Michelle definitely had no interest in finding this out for herself. Basically, she just unwillingly signed a contract to keep the Minister's secret to herself as well. Fabulous.

Cracker chuckled to himself for a few more seconds, obviously amused by the perplexed and shocked expression that was still lingering on the young woman's face.

**„Tottoland is a marvellous place, but I sincerely hope you're aware of what you've gotten yourself into, haha!"**

Michelle gave him a half-assured nod, yet she also couldn't help asking herself the very same thing. Was she really sure on what she was getting herself into here...?

~*~

But just like her, you might now probably be wondering why on earth a Minister, as well as Sweet Commander, would even consider wasting his time by showing a stranger around his domain.

Well in Cracker's case, there was actually more than just one 'reason' for it.

Not only did the pirate enjoy boasting about his island and exploits at any given opportunity anyways, but ever since his mother introduced this currently on-going 'Moving System' for new citizens, it has become quite a competition for him and some of his siblings to see who could win over the most newcomers and get them to live on their island. Many Charlottes try to achieve that by hosting special events or cleaning up the cities to make their islands especially appealing, but he just so happened to prefer sending out his biscuit soldiers around Tottoland to advertise the security of his realm instead. It was simple, easy, but would save him a lot of hassle. Because despite being the Minister, Cracker rarely interacted with his citizens- even though he enjoyed the praise and fearful admiration they would often show him, he was usually content with having his quiet time and organizing his biscuit distribution and soldiers' patrols from inside his office. Well unless there was a problem or some sort of uproar that demanded his attention, of course.

But this doesn't mean that he didn't like heading out or going on missions though. No- in fact, that was what Cracker was _initially_ supposed to do today. A group of spies managed to sneak into his little sister Chiffon's turf and snatched some of her most secret and valued recipes, which their mother of course wouldn't stand for. Oh, he was already itching to set out to Fluffy Island and teach those fools a painful lesson... But then Mama decided that it would be more 'interesting' to let the youngest Commander, Snack, handle it instead. That was quite a damper for Cracker, who had already polished his beloved blade Pretzel and was more than ready to put it to good use. But unfortunately, that aspiration was quickly squashed. So instead, he choose to spend the day on his island and do something that his soldiers would usually be responsible for- patrolling. He'd been hoping to find something interesting to distract himself from his boredom and disappointment, and ta-da! That's where the little girl across from him came into play.

Cracker always enjoyed a good challenge, and perhaps this young woman could provide him with the entertainment he was currently lacking. Well and if she didn't, he figured that he could simply send her off somewhere or just leave. Tourists were always fun to mess with, especially those that were oh so easy to impress. And she just so happened to be of the _very impressible_ type, or at least that's what he gathered so far.

Impressible, but undeniably fun. And sort of cute.

...However, now that she knew who he was, her attitude towards him had changed once more. Earlier Cracker noticed how the shy exterior around her began to crumble after they spend some time together and he brought her back to the harbor, but now it was almost fully back on. Revealing his true identity was most likely the cause of it, but the Minister couldn't help himself. And her shocked reaction was definitely more than worth it in the end.

~*~

So now, Cracker was already wondering how much it might take to have her drop her guard again.

His grin turned into a lazy smirk as he leaned back against the bench, and decided to pick up their conversation once more.

**„But tell me, little one,"** he hummed, **"I remember you mentioned that you were scouting Tottoland with your family earlier, so why are you all on your own now? Where are the people you were travelling with?"**

His voice sounded mildly curious at best, and the previous excitement from when he was talking about himself and his powers was almost completely gone. But luckily Michelle had managed to regain her more calm attitude again, so even though she was still sorta spooked about talking with a Sweet Commander, she tried her best to push those worries to the back of her mind and not let those intimidating feelings consume her.

**„Uhm, my family and I... we decided to split up. My parents and younger brother are checking out Jam Island right now, while I wanted to visit Biscuits Island."** she replied politely, but her voice still sounded a little more squeakish than before.

**„Jam Island, you say? Huh, that's my brother Dacquoise's turf."**

**"Duck... Duckquise...?"**

Cracker chuckled and pulled out another biscuit from the box he previously swiped from the young woman. While he mustered and turned the treat in his fingers, he continued.

**„He's not a man of many words, but I'm sure he'll be glad to have someone interested in his island. It's not really one of the main attractions, if you know what I mean!"** he snickered and took a large bite out of the biscuit, **„Hehe, so he's been advertising his place like crazy. Hoping to draw in as many newcomers as possible."**

Her face involuntarily scrunched up at that. Ohhh the irony of the situation- Michelle, who was hoping for a quiet day at a new Island, accidentally got herself involved with a relentless and very talkative Minister; whereas her confident father would be hunting after a secretive and quiet pirate over on Jam Island. _Man, we should have switched places..._

Seeing how the young woman was lost in thought, Cracker took out one last biscuit for himself and then put the little gift box down next to her again.

**„Mh, I'm a little curious. You say your family went to Jam Island, so why didn't you go with them?"** if he had any then he would raise an eyebrow to put emphasis on his question and curiosity, but it was rather obvious that the Minister simply wanted to hear the praise of his island being a better choice. 

****

Still the question caught Michelle a little off guard, especially since she didn't really want to reveal her true, embarrassing reason to the man. Not to mention that telling him about how she slipped into a peanutbutter puddle and therefore wanted to go to a more solid and less lively island might possibly disappoint him. So she had to be a bit smart about this. The wheels in her mind were reeling and she unconsciously reached for her box of biscuits to have something to focus on while her brain was coming up with a believable reason.

****

**„Well... Uhm... I guess you could say I kind of prefer... crunchy biscuits over sticky jam...? And my parents were really insistent on getting to Jam Island while I was curious about this place, so I thought that splitting up might be the best solution,"** it was a lame excuse, but right off the bat the best she could come up with, **„...plus, we figured that we could cover more ground that way! So... it's kind of a win-win?"**

****

She tried to crack a smile and slowly looked up at him to read his expression. Cracker's grin hadn't returned to his face yet which kind of worried the young woman, and she was really hoping that her answer would satisfy his curiosity. The last thing she wanted was to tell him about her little 'accident'.

****

**„Mh... I guess this is something we can agree on,"** Cracker spoke up again, and much to Michelle's relief his lips twisted into the standard creepy grin once more, **„Biscuits are better than Jam. A lot better! But do you know what's good too? Biscuits with Jam."** he chuckled and pointed at the little box she had unknowingly started to clutch in her hands.

****

**„Heh, a word of advice: you should get more of those, little one, and spread some high-quality jam ontop of them! Many of my younger sisters do that and I guarantee, you will not regret it~!"**

****

Michelle perked up at that sudden suggestion and immediately looked down at her box. This seemed a little random and out of the blue, and the young woman certainly didn't expect the tall pirate to share ideas like that with her... but she definitely wasn't opposed to trying it out.

****

**„Oh, you mean like a breakfeast biscuit?"** she asked, somewhat relieved that their conversation was taking a lighter turn again, **„Well if the Minister of Biscuits tells me this... then I'll make sure to keep it in mind!"**

****

Her response sounded a little more energetic than she had anticipated, but luckily Cracker seemed to take her enthusiasm with humor, **„'Breakfeast Biscuits', mh? Hehe, I suppose you could call it that,"** a small laugh left him at that, **„You know... if you choose to live on my island little one, then you could have the best 'Breakfeast Biscuits' everyday!"** he exclaimed loudly and demonstrantively threw his hands up in the air.

****

_Ohhh. So was this where he's going with it...?_ Michelle blinked a few times, unsure on how to respond. She did get a slightly odd feeling when he suddenly mentioned his sisters, so was this actually the Minister's way of advertising his island to her...? Huh.

****

But regardless of his reason the young woman smiled and this time, even forced herself to look up at him. God, why was she still so scared...? Sure he was a big pirate, but so far he's only been a bit creepy... and actually rather nice to her! Their eyes met for a moment and Cracker maintained the contact like earlier, chuckling when she turned to the side again.

****

He eyed her for a few more moments with an unreadable expression on his face, before he too turned his head aside and choose to gaze out at the sea. A few seagulls were screeching above them, and the steady sound of the waves moving against the beach gave Michelle a feeling of security and comfort. By now she knew that silence between herself and the tall man wouldn't last long, and so she enjoyed the moment until it would undoubtly turn awkward again.

****

...But since part of her was still in awe of him being a real Commander and therefore celebrity, she also couldn't help herself and occasionally blinked over at the tall man from the side to properly take in his looks. Cracker was a very unique guy and she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about him... fascinated her. With every glance she took the young woman noticed new details about his face and body that she didn't took notice of before- like the small wrinkles around his eyes, how neatly his hair was tied up into that weird threepointer-style and how not even a single strand fell out of place; the strong muscles that were running through his exposed torso...

****

She kept on stealing glances for a few more moments when suddenly, just as she was looking over at his face again, their eyes met once more. _Uh oh._ He caught her staring at him.

****

A vivid blush immediately formed on her cheeks as his grin widened, and Michelle quickly concentrated her gaze back to the ground and away from the pirate next to her. For a second she could swear that her heart was beating faster, which just further unsettled her. Why was she always making things awkward...?

****

Suddenly, the man next to her began to shift around and slowly lifted his body from the bench with a sigh. Michelle couldn't help but slightly start to panic. Did her inappropriate staring unnerve him?! Was he leaving? the young woman gulped hard, but still didn't dare to look up at his face again.

****

**„HAH! Well it's been a while since I last talked to a citizen for more than two minutes,"** Cracker suddenly noted, and of course completely ignored the fact that she wasn't even his citizen yet, **„maybe I should do this more often. Hehe, well if someone as weird as you drops by again, that is..."** the grin was evident in his voice, and Cracker quickly brushed over his cape to get rid of any residue crumbs from when he swiped some of the young woman's biscuits earlier. Michelle however did not respond and wasn't looking at him either, which didn't really please the tall man. So he slowly scooted down until his face was on her level and gently grabbed hold of her chin with his gloved fingers to lift her gaze to meet his.

****

**„I can't wait to get the confirmation papers that you moved here. It's going to be a lot of fun having you around little one, I can already tell..."** his voice took a small dip at the end, and his grin grew a little. Michelle parted her lips as if she wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. Whether it was his delicate touch on her chin, the closeness of his face, or the burning intensity of his pink stare- the young woman was completely frozen in place. Like some sort of scared prey that was just waiting to be devoured.

****

A low chuckle left his lips as he watched the young woman closely, and her frightened expression almost caused his own gaze to turn a little hazy. He was barely touching her, yet she was almost shaking. It was so easy to rile her up and tickle a reaction out of her, which was far too entertaining for Cracker. He kept his gaze locked with hers for a few more moments before he let go of her chin and stood back up to his full height.

****

**„This was fun, little one, but unfortunately I still got other things to do."** he announced, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword while he looked over at the sun for a brief moment. It was already early afternoon, meaning that his original 'morning patrol' was more than over. There was probably paperwork or other minister duties waiting for him back at his office, so it was time to get a move on again.

****

Michelle was still a little dazzled from the sudden and way-too-close-for-comfort moment they just shared, but seeing how he was appearantly about to leave, she decided to speak up again before the Minister could do anything else to further fluster her.

****

**„O-Oh, of course! I hope I didn't take up too much of your time, Sir... Cracker,"** she started to fidge around with her fingers before continuing, **„ehm... and thank you for everything! You really helped me out today, and I'm very grateful for it!"**

****

She really meant what she was saying, but as soon as she noticed how he was looking down at her with that devilish grin again, Michelle swallowed hard and averted her gaze once more.

****

**„Mh, is that so? You're that grateful? Well in that case, perhaps I'll need to find a proper way for you to really show me your... grattitude soon."** Cracker snickered as a deep red color returned to her face once more. Oh, she was just too easy to rile up.

****

But before he would come up with other ways to further tease this young woman, Cracker decided that it was really time to go. If he didn't stop now he might just spend the rest of the day trying to embarrass her further, and as entertaining as that would be, it'd also be contra-productive to his duties.

****

**„Well then... Until next time, little one! Something tells me it won't be long until we run into one another again...."** was his final announcement to her, and with that being said, the Minister finally turned around to leave.

****

Michelle simply stuttered a small **„Goodbye!"** after him as Cracker took off with quick and heavy steps, and once he was completely out of her sight, she slumped down on the bench and released a long and drawn-out sigh.

****

All the accumulated tension from this encounter was slowly starting to leave her body, and for a moment she closed her eyes to listen to comforting sound of the waves sweeping against the shore. The world around her had grown calm once more, and now that she was by herself again, Michelle begun to sort out her thoughts and properly review this meeting in her mind.

****

She just spend her morning with the Minister of Biscuits. Furthermore, he actually helped her out and provided her with some proper guidance- something she would have never expected from one of those big shots. She's been convinced that those 'Officers' were all probably sitting on some high horse (albeit it be understandable), and even though Cracker was rather condescending from time to time, he seemed... pretty nice.

****

Question was though, did he really mean his 'kindness' or was he just messing with her?

****

Part of her wanted to believe that Cracker was being genuine, but it was also quite possible that he just wanted to impress her so she would choose his island to live on. At least that was what she thought. After all, he did hint that he was kiiiind of expecting her to move here... But even if that was true and all this was just an act to win her over, there was also no denying that today was pretty interesting, thanks to him. He even told her about his powers and gave her advice on biscuits! So although she still felt intimidated by his presence until the very last moment, it was also obvious that she indeed enjoyed talking with him... to some extend.

****

**„Aaaargh, I can't believe I had a chitchat with one of Big Mom's Commanders just now!"** the young woman smiled to herself and shuddered, excitement was still running through her veins.

****

It was definitely a lot to take in at once, but now it was time for her to move on like Cracker. After Michelle rested on the bench for a few more minutes, she remembered one of the prime reasons why she returned to the harbor in the first place: she still didn't have a place for the night. But according to what Cracker said, the old man who ran the store with the special biscuits was also willing to help out tourists... in other words, her best chance at finding a hotel was probably to get back inside and have a little talk with the shop owner.

****

So that's what she did.

****

\----

****

At first the older cashier looked a little spooked when she re-entered the shop, but upon realizing that the young woman was on her own, he visibly relaxed again. Michelle took notice of his reaction and thought to herself that Sir Cracker must have a really intimidating effect on his citizen, before she walked over to the counter and offered the man a hopeful smile.

****

**"Hello again, young lady,"** the cashier greeted her and nodded politely, **"are you here to purchase another batch of biscuits?"**

****

**"Oh, not really,"** Michelle replied and softly started to fidge around with her fingers. Although.... Maybe she could get some for her parents as souvenirs...? But that'll have to wait until she took care of what she came here for.

****

**"Actually, I was wondering if you could give me some advice,"** she quickly continued, **"uhm, you see, I'm only visiting Biscuits Island for the day and still haven't found a place to stay at for the night... are there any nearby hotels you could recommend to me, Sir? Preferably one that's not too far away from the docks?"** after all, she had no intention of getting lost again.

****

**"I see, so you're a tourist,"** the old man thought about her question while scratching his chin, but then he bend down behind the counter to roam through what Michelle presumed to be his drawers, **"I'd be more than happy to help you young lady, especially since you're an acquaintance of Lord Cracker!"** he exclaimed, and Michelle immediately opened her mouth to correct him since she wasn't really an acquaintance of the Minister, but before she could even speak up the old man continued with his rambling again, **"If you're looking for something close by, your best shot would be the 'Cinnamon Star' hotel just out of town,"** he added and pulled out a map of the harbor to show her what he was talking about, **"they offer small yet comfortable rooms for visitors that don't intend on staying for long, plus it's very affordable and quite popular among tourists! I'm suprised Lord Cracker didn't tell you about it yet, hoho! Hold on, let me mark it for you..."** the cashier smiled and pulled out a pen to circle the spot on the map for her, completely ignoring the somewhat uncertain expression on the young woman's face. **"You should be able to recognize it by the sugar-grain coating outside! It sparkles like no other building, especially when the sun is up high!"**

****

Since she didn't have a chance to really get a word in, Michelle simply watched the old man do his thing and then took the map with a relieved smile, glad that she might have a place to stay at now. **"This sounds perfect, thank you very much!"** she gave him a thankful nod and quickly eyed the marked spot on the map before sliping it into her little travel bag. This was practically all she needed, but thanks to the welcoming smell coming from the biscuit-filled shelves behind the counter, her mind was quickly set on picking up another thing before she left the store. **"now, about those cookies..."**

****

\----

****

By the time Michelle exited the building again the sun had already started to set on the horizon, and her bright rays were now drenching the streets in a strong, orange light. This more than suprised the young woman, since it meant that she really spend a majority of her day doing... what exactly?

****

She got lost in town, walked around with a stranger who turned out to be the Minister, and ate biscuits. Not at all what she had planned, but hey! At least she managed to get a proper look at the island and got some help with finding a place to stay. Or better said, the old man described a place for her. After she got lost so easily Michelle wasn't really keen on setting out on her own again, but the description he gave her should have been simple enough. A large building covered in sparkly sugar grains... that shouldn't be too hard to find, right?

****

And indeed, within less than half an hour she actually managed to find the supposed hotel.

****

It was located almost directly at the harbor, not too far away from the docks, and just out of town like the shop owner said. But if it wasn't for him telling her that it was a hotel, she probably wouldn't have recognized it as such.

****

The 'Cinnamon Star' was a tall building entirely made out of gingerbread, and quite essentially it looked almost no different from the many houses she walked past in town- only that it was bigger, and slightly more luxurious-looking. And of course, it sparkled. Especially now that the sun was setting and its orange light hit the building just right, the many sugar crystals glittered in every color imagineable. It was truly mesmerizing to look at, but since it was already late afternoon Michelle decided not to gawk at the exterior for too long and instead made sure to check in right away and before all the available rooms would be booked up. The old man did say that this hotel was rather popular among tourists, so the young woman somewhat feared that she might have already been too late... But luckily, that wasn't the case. 

****

The 'suite' Michelle choose to stay at was nothing much, but seeing how she would only spend a single night there (plus the exclusive breakfeast service for tomorrow morning), it didn't really matter to her. However, the interior still looked absolutely mesmerizing and gave off major fairytale vibes once again- windows were made out of a special type of hardened candy, the 'carpet' consisted of a large cotton candy rug, and the furniture was mostly biscuits in all sorts of forms and shapes again. The only non-edible thing seemed to be the bed, which was precisely what Michelle was heading to now.

****

As soon as she closed the door behind her, the young woman wasted no time and quickly waddled over to said bed, where she then kicked off her shoes and threw herself onto the sheets with an exhausted sigh.

****

**"So... soft..."** she mumbled to herself, and finally allowed herself to completely relax 100%. Lying on the soft matress like this, completely unmoving, really caused her to realize how tense most of her body was. All of the walking had exhausted her quite a bit, especially when you add in the anxiety and stress she felt from being lost in this unknown place earlier today. This was precisely one of the reasons why she usually stuck to her parents- because whenever she was all on her own, it was far too easy for her to get lost.

****

_Just another thing I need to get better at in the near future..._ Michelle thought and yawned loudly.

****

With every passing moment her body melted more and more into the sheets, to the point where she had basically no desire of moving out of the bed ever again. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing since Michelle definitely didn't plan on leaving the hotel (and possibly getting lost) again today, but she also didn't want to go to sleep just yet. What could she do...? Her eyes unconsciously wandered over to her bag, and she noticed the Wanted Poster from her notebook sticking out.

****

Ahhh. Yeah. Writing down her Biscuits Island experience, that sounded like a plausible idea! So with that in mind Michelle meekly forced her body to wiggle over to the edge of the bed, from where she could grab the book and a pen to start jotting down her thoughts.

****

But although her head was still filled with all sorts of thoughts about today, she had no real idea on how she could put it to paper. At least not in the form of her usual pros-and-cons approach... Her eyes felt more and more heavy with each moment she stared at the blank pages, and the incredible comfort and softness from the bed literally begged her to close her eyes and rest.... which, in the end, was a siren's call she couldn't resist.

****

And the only things she managed to write down before succumbing to her tiredness were the following:

****

**Biscuits Island**

****

_Cons: -everything is huge and looks almost the same, it's very easy to get lost here!_

****

_Pros: -the town is super pretty, everything smells extremely delicious_

****

_-also, the Minister is suprisingly nice..._

****

The rest of the day passed by in a flutter. Michelle woke up again at around 9pm, roughly four hours after she threw herself onto the bed. Her head was pressed against the notebook, which she must have used as sort of cushion in her sleep, and she was still dressed in her usual clothes. By now the sun had completely disappeared, and the pale moonlight was the sole thing illuminating her hotel room. 

****

Although the previous exhaustion had now left her body and she felt more energized again, Michelle decided that it would be for the best to just take a shower and get ready for bed. Even though she was a little hungry, the young woman really had no intention of leaving the hotel at this late hour- especially since she didn't even know where she could go to grab some food. And there was no way she would risk getting lost at the harbor in the middle of the night. So without any further ado Michelle left the bed and walked over to the bathroom to clean herself up before she could hit the sheets for real.

****

And the next morning, she made sure to get up as early as possible. Her mother did say that they would try to reach Biscuits Island at around 9am, so the young woman definitely didn't have much time to fool around- and the last thing Michelle wanted was to make her family wait for her at the harbor. That certainly wouldn't end nicely for her....

****

Right after she took a quick shower and put on a new set of clothes, Michelle hastily stuffed her things plus the room key into her bag and exited the suite. On her way through the hallway she decided that it might be a good idea to grab some quick breakfast for the way, especially since it was included with her room anyway. So after she paid for the night at the reception desk and returned the key, the young woman took a turn to the right and waltzed right into the dining area. It was still pretty early so not many were up and eating yet, which meant that the buffet was still filled with all sorts of fresh nourishment for her to pick from.

****

Naturally biscuits were the main attraction here, but after wandering around the buffet-tables for a bit, Michelle also managed to spot a few bowls with fruits, some semi-healthy cereal, and jars filled with jam. Right when she spotted those the words of the Minister from yesterday rung through her head again, or more precisly, his odd advice to have some biscuits and jam for breakfeast. _Many of my younger sisters do it too, and I guarantee you will not regret it!_ Huh. Well, it was worth a try, wasn't it?

****

Keen to find out if this was really such a delicious idea, Michelle quickly grabbed a plate with two medium-sized biscuits, spread a bit of strawberry jam on top of them, and then slapped the two together to create some sort of 'biscuit-jam-sandwich to go'.

****

Usually she was a little cautious about eating too many sweets, but unfortunately Tottoland doesn't really give you much of a choice in that matter. Seeing how almost 70% of all the food here consisted of sugar, it would probably only be a matter of time until she got used to it as well. And as long as Michelle watched her diet and made sure not to overdo it on the sugary treats, she should be fine. 

****

For a moment the young woman considered sitting down to eat her small breakfeast in peace, but the worry that her parents might once again be extra early and already waiting for her at the harbor quickly made her scratch that.

****

After giving her thanks to the receptionist who checked her in, Michelle hurridly left the building to head to the docks. On her way she only ever stopped every once in a while to take a bite out of her self-made 'breakfeast biscuit sandwich', which actually tasted pretty good. 

****

...Well but to be fair, it was only biscuits with jam. You can't really go wrong with that.

****

After she finished her small makeshift breakfeast and reached the harbor, Michelle completely focussed on finding the dock her parents dropped her off at the day prior. It took her a bit to get a sense of orientation and reach the place, but thanks to her leaving the bed and hotel extra early, she managed to make it to the meet-up spot before her family's merchant ship could even be seen on the vast sea. But of course it would only be a matter of time until they'd arrive, and so the young woman walked over to a nearby bench where she could sit down and watch the sea from. While she was waiting for her family to pick her up, her eyes constantly wandered from the wide ocean over to the town and back.

****

_Is the Minister on patrol again today...?_

****

For some reason her thoughts were still circling around the odd encounter from yesterday, and a small smile appeared on her lips as she remembered how the pirate picked out those delicious biscuits for her. It was quite unexpected; however just like with all the other advice he had given her throughout the day, she appreciated it.

****

...But then the memory of that awkward handshake moment flashed through her mind, which immediately caused Michelle to shudder and cringe at her own stupidity. At least the Minister seemed to find it pretty amusing, but the young woman herself still felt like a complete fool because of her embarrassing foolishness. 

****

Now the question was, should she tell her family about the encounter? How would they react if she told them that she spend half of the day with Charlotte Cracker, the Minister of the island? Her father would probably be pretty proud and ask her about everything that happened, this much she was sure of...

****

_Mentioning Sir Cracker's hospitality would only be fair,_ Michelle mused, _after all, I wouldn't have been able to find my way back without his help!_

****

But before she could further dwell on that thought, the merchant ship of her family finally showed up at the horizon. Like usual they weren't lying when they said they would pick her up as early as possible, and the ship reached the harbor in a timely manner. Michelle smiled softly, half-happy half-sad that she had to leave the island again. Even if it was only for a day and she didn't get much done in the end, it was still fun and interesting to finally do something all on her own. And Biscuits Island was certainly an intriguing place to explore. Oh, she would have loved to get ontop of that giant cookie in the middle of the island, or to stroll through the shopping districts of the town... _Maybe another time._

****

The young woman watched as the anchor was sunk into the sea and a plank was lowered to connect the ship with the shore, so passengers could finally enter or leave the deck. And of course her mother Marina was the first person to hastily exit her cabin and pass over the wooden board to greet her child. The look on her face resembled that of a heartbroken mother who was seeing her lost daughter again for the first time in years, rather than someone who just left her child to do something on her own for no longer than a single day. **"Michelle, oh there you are!"** she cried out and waved at her child to get her attention, although Michelle had already spotted her mother long before she even stepped ashore.

****

With quick steps Marina strolled over to the young woman and immediately pulled her into a tight hug. **"See mom, I'm still in one piece,"** Michelle joked and pat the smaller woman's back in response, praying that this little 'reunion' wouldn't cause her mother to cry or something. She knew how over the top emotional her mom could get, but luckily it didn't seem like the older woman was planning to spill any tears today. That was relieving, and a moment before Marina could start bombarding her daughter with questions about what had happened while they were apart, Michelle's father also appeared to join the two ashore. He looked a lot more calm than his wife, probably because he was somewhat confident that their daughter could actually take of herself, and simply gave Michelle a jolly smile as greeting.

****

**"Hello dear! Hope we didn't make you wait for long,"** he loudly exclaimed before playfully ruffling through her hair with his big hand, **„So? How did Biscuits Island treat you?"**

****

**„Weeeell,"** Michelle, who was still trapped in a tight hug thanks to her mother, looked up at her father with a mischievious glimmer in her eyes and cracked a small smile at him.

****

**„Dad, you really won't believe the day I had..."**

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I got reeeeally tired at the ending, so I'm sorry if it sucks x'D
> 
> Well, how did you like that little moment between the two :>? I'm a sucker for the 'tall man bends down and tilts up your chin to force you to look at him' trope, and even if it was only for a brief moment, it already left Michelle breathless. Are sparks flying? What does this mighty pirate really want from her...? Haha don't worry, it'll still take quite a while for this 'romance' to really begin 'blossoming' xD....
> 
> Now, without spoiling too much, the next two chapters are all about decisions and goodbye's, meaning that Michelle will finally find her place to settle down! Because... Yeah. It's a lovestory at the core, and I figured that her scouting out all the other islands in great detail would only unnecessarily slow things down or drag on too much, especially since it's basically the same process repeating itself! Yeah! So, more content on her family and previous life next time! Have a nice night and stay tuned my lovelies~!


	4. Decisions- Part 1

Once Michelle and her family departed from Biscuits Island, it was time to talk about everything that went down. Naturally her parents' reaction to finding out that their daughter spend half a day with a Minister was more than suprised, but just like the young woman had predicted, her father was also rather delighted by the news. And the fact that she didn't recognize the Commander up until they sat down and ate some biscuits together was hilarious to him.

**"Hohoho! You really saw how the citizens feared this giant man with the huge sword and didn't think any of it?!"** Matthias was bellowing with laughter and teasingly shook his head while patting his daughter on the back, **"oh that is so like you! But I guess it isn't your fault entirely, seeing how he's misleading everyone about his true appearance, appearantly."**

**"Yeeeeahh that's actually another thing I wanted to talk about,"** Michelle noted and nervously tapped her fingers against the table, **"ehm, you can't really tell anyone outside of Tottoland about this. It's kind of an insider thing, and if word about his true appearance gets out... Well, I don't even want to think about what Big Mom might do to you!"** her body grew tense at that. It was a well-known fact that the Yonko's information system was broad, so she really didn't want to get her parents in trouble with this. Michelle almost bit her own cheek for even telling them about this crucial information in the first place, but she figured that it would only be fair.

**"My, if he's making such a big deal out of it then I wonder why he would reveal his true identity to you at all! Future citizen or not,"** her mother chimed in, obviously not happy that her daughter- and possibly entire family- might face severe consequences if they said something about this, **"as grateful as I am that he was willing to help you out, I don't think it's appropriate to already start burdening you with this kind of stuff!"**

**"Well my dear, we knew what she was getting into,"** Matthias replied and scooted over to pat his wife's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down a little, **"it's gonna be all fine- after all, we merchants certainly know how to keep a secret! ...But I guess we should still make it clear to Phillip that he really needs to keep this to himself at all costs, hohoho!"**

Michelle forced herself to let out a dry laugh at her father's remark, since this was precisely the thing she was most worried about- out of her entire family, her younger brother was for sure the one with the most loose tongue. But although her father was acting rather jolly and excited now, she knew that he would definitely pull the teenager aside later on to seriously burn this into his mind. Matthias might appear open and talkative to strangers, but deep down he was actually an extremely stern and cautious man. And according to himself, both were traits you needed in a profession like his. 

**"Still, I don't think this is really the best idea,"** Marina spoke up again as she was nervously scratching over the back of her hand with her long nails, **"doing business with pirates can be difficult enough, but living under their rule? Oh, I just don't know... as beautiful as Tottoland is, I would probably only want to stay for vacation instead of moving here permanently. This place just kind of... rubs me the wrong way."**

She was looking at both her husband and daughter while saying it, although it was rather apparant that her words were solely directed at Michelle. Naturally. The older woman was never happy with the thought of her child choosing to live in the territority of a Yonko, and at this point it was obvious that she wouldn't change her mind about it anytime soon. Even after travelling through the country for a while, she was still as skeptical as when they first arrived. Michelle simply sighed and crossed her arms infront of her chest, signalling her mother that she was not in the mood to have this conversation again. It was far too early for that.

**"It's okay if you don't like it here, mom,"** the young woman simply replied while looking around the cabin with obvious disinterest, **"After all, I'm the one who's going to live her, not you."**

Marina immediately opened her mouth as if she wanted to counter with something, but was quickly silenced by her husband, who softly squeezed her shoulder with one of his large hands and shook his head. Everyone knew how this conversation would go, and there was no need to start a fight over this. He used to disapprove of their daughter's decision just as much, maybe even more so, but by now he came to terms with the fact that it wouldn't change anything. Michelle had made up her mind a while ago and even if her parents still refused to believe that her daughter would willingly choose to live under 'a gang of criminals', it was what was going happen. There was no going back... not even if she wanted to.

Although Michelle was tired of explaining to her mother over and over again that she made her decision, she could still somehow understand where the older woman was coming from.

Especially if you consider their shaky start with the Big Mom Pirates. 

~*~

_~A few weeks ago, the waters of the New World~_

**"Ship ahoy! Pirates!"**

The voice of a young man tore through the air, and everyone who was previously going on about their day on deck of the small ship immediately looked up to the crow's nest- where the youngest member of the merchant family, Phillip, was energetically jumping up and down while pointing out at sea.

**"Who is it?!"** Matthias yelled up at his son and quickly put the money he had been counting until then back into a small chest before hurrying over to the crow's nest.

**"Ehh.... don't know! But the skull on the flag got some lipstick on it, and there's also a tree and sun...?"** came the response, and a second later Phillip dropped his small telescope for his father to catch so he could take a look himself.

However, Matthias already had a good idea of who it might be. Not just because of his son's vague description, but also thanks to the faint sound of singing he could now hear from somewhere in the distance.... And it shouldn't really come as suprise, considering that they were currently sailing rather close to her territority after all.

**"Shit! Not them!"** the big man growled after quickly peeking through the telescope in order to confirm his suspicions, and a moment later he ordered a sailor to bring his wife and daughter on deck as well. While Michelle was rather confused by the sudden commotion and already expected that her father might have summoned her to scold her for something she might have done wrong or a chore she forgot, her mother wasted no time and quickly hurried over to her husband's side.

**"What's wrong, dear?"** Marina asked with a voice laced in worry as she approached the tall man, and the stern expression on his face just further unsettled her.

**"We're about to cross paths with the Big Mom Pirates,"** Matthias grumbled through gritted teeth, **"Marina, tell Michelle and Phillip to head back down into our quarters to make sure that the safe is properly locked up, alright?"** there was no way the merchand would leave money out in the open, especially if the Pirates decided to 'come aboard for a small visit', which was exactly what Matthias was expecting. It happened almost everytime they sailed passed a ship like that, and he knew better than to take any unecessary risks.

Although the Big Mom Pirates weren't known for being particularly destructive (unlike the Beast Pirates for example), the Yonko Crew still posed an immense threat to anyone who sailed the seas and could sink the merchant ship on a whim. This of course wasn't the first time in his life that Matthias ran into a notorious pirate crew like that, but each and every time an encounter such as this was about to take place, it was a bit of a gamble for the merchant- sure the risk of getting attacked and robbed was always there, but he was also a businessman, and an unfaltering one at that. Making a deal with someone like them could always turn out to be lucrative in the end. Well, at least as long as no one from that lunatic family happened to be on board...

Unlike their parents though, Michelle and Phillip were both actually rather excited to get the chance of seeing a Yonko's ship up close. The former was of course a bit worried as well, but given that this was a rare occurrence she also couldn't help but wonder what such a famous pirate crew might be like. Their father did tell them about his past encounters with certain big shots, the most notable being a run-in with one of the ships that sailed under the Whitebeard Pirates flag. Of course it wasn't the Yonko himself but 'just' the vessel of a Division Commander, but the fact remained that he got into contact with a notorious crew like this before. And now it was finally their turn. Both then quickly obeyed their parents' command and hurried inside to hide the money and valuable items in their special safe before running back on deck. And by the time they returned, the large pirate ship was already close enough to be seen by the bare eye- and it was indeed a sight to behold.

**"Am I seeing this right or is that thing made out of waffles?!"** Phillip asked and gently nudged his taller sister with his elbow while squinting his eyes at the approaching vessel.

The confusion on Michelle's face could easily rival her brother's, and she too tilted her head at the odd sight. **"Wait, and do you hear that? It sounds like someone's singing!"** she added and stepped over to the railing, from where she was hoping to get a better look at the ship. In the meantime Marina made sure to keep a close eye on her children, and even went as far as to protectively step infront of them. Which looked rather ridiculous, given that she was shorter than both of them.

**"Michelle, make sure to stay back! Those people are ruthless!"** she huffed, already lowering her voice into a more serious tone as the opposing ship drew nearer, **"and Phillip, you get back to your cabin now! This is too dangerous, especially for you!"**

**"No way Mom! I've never seen a Yonko ship before!"** he retorted, but one harsh glare from his usually so soft-spoken mother was enough to silence the teenager again. And so he simply clicked his tongue, obviously disappointed with this decision, and slumped back inside. Marina looked after her son until he was truly out of sight, and then sighed before turning to her daughter.

**"Maybe we're in luck and they choose to quietly pass us..."** she loudly wondered and put a hand onto Michelle's shoulder, although it was quite obvious that Marina herself highly doubted those words. And of course, that wasn't what would happen. The pirate ship was sailing straight into their direction, even after Matthias commanded the sailors to change course in order to avoid a confrontation. But the large ship simply mimicked their movements, thus continuing to head right for the smaller vessel. Realizing that trying to avoid them was futile, Marina yelled across the deck to rise the white flag with their merchant symbol on it to signal the pirates that they meant no harm and weren't looking for trouble.

While her mother was giving out orders to the sailors, Michelle gazed over to her father, who was now frantically browsing through a thick catalogue of Wanted Posters. He was probably trying to prepare himself for whoever it was that was commanding the opposing vessel.

And the closer the ship came, the more of a good look Michelle managed to get. The first thing that immediately caught her attention- aside from the large, singing figurehead- was a huge gash at the right side of the hull, which was exposing a part of the inner decks to the outside. A faint trail of smoke seemed to rise out from it, suggesting that the crew must have either ran into some trouble earlier or got attacked by another vessel. At least that's what the young woman figured. Another thing to note was that there was... what seemed to be a large person already standing on the singing figurehead.

A few minutes went by before both Michelle and her mother walked over to join Matthias' side again and prepare themselves for the impending confrontation. Since she was a grown adult like her parents, Michelle was also allowed to stay on board during these sort of interactions, unlike her younger brother. 'A golden opportunity to see how a real merchant deals with situations like this', that's how her father would often put it when they ran into pirates. And although Michelle had no interest in the whole trading and merchant business, taking notice of how to properly deal with pirates could never hurt. Matthias was still flipping through the pages of his catalogue, skipping over a few scary looking Wanted Poster in the progress, until he could finally recognize the silhoutte of the tall person standing ontop of the ship's figurehead.

And much to his relief, it wasn't a core member of the Yonko's family. Both Michelle and her mother however still didn't know who they were dealing with, and simultaneously tilted their heads to the side as they eyed the... 'odd' creature ontop of the ship. The smoke made it a bit hard to identify, but was this... a lion standing on two legs...?

To clear up his wife's and daughter's confusion, Matthias quickly pointed at a considerably new-looking Wanted Poster in his catalogue. It pictured the face of what- indeed- looked like a lion, with the caption 'Pekoms - 330,000,000' written underneath. **"He's a mink,"** he added as he noticed the still somewhat irritated expression on his daughter's face.

**"Ahhhh, I see!"** Michelle replied awkwardly, since she didn't have much experience with people of that race. After all they were rather rare to encounter, even in the New World, therefore it was natural that she didn't immediately recognize the sillhoutte of the strange 'man'. So not only would this be her first encounter with the Big Mom Pirates, but also the first time she would see a mink up close. Today was just getting more and more interesting...

Both her and her father then turned to look at the ship, which was now almost right infront of them, waiting for the Captain to speak up. By now they were able to make out most of the ship, and if it wasn't for the fact that the Big Mom Pirates were already notorious for their food-themed vessels, Michelle would have probably been even more suprised than she already was- given that the ship basically looked like a buffet floating on the sea. Huge waffles, chocolate-covered fruits, giant candy canes and tons of frosting were decorating a large majority of the upper deck. How none of that food was melting under the hot sun was a mystery to the young woman.

Once the ship was close enough to almost collide with the smaller vessel, it finally came to a complete halt. After its sails were pulled up and a heavy looking anchor got lowered into the sea beneath, a group of small and odd-looking people carried a big ladder over to the edge of the railing and dropped it down so both ships were now connected. And the lion- Pekoms- wasted no time descending it so he could properly talk with the merchants. He effectively skipped the bottom steps of the ladder and then jumped onto the smaller ship's deck, where he immediately turned his head to inspect the unknown people infront of him.

It was quiet for a minute, the only sound that tore through the air aside from the waves was the loud noise of the pirate ship's pained singing. The lion wore a thick pair of sunglasses so it was hard to make out where exactly he was looking, but since it was rather obvious that Matthias was the man in charge here, he was the first one Pekoms turned to. A small growl left the lion's lips before he spoke up in a loud voice that barely managed to overpower the singing.

**"Oi, merchant! You got wood and rope on you, gao?"** the mink asked, his voice rough and intimidating, **"...and some chocolate?"**

**"Of course, Sir!"** Matthias instantly replied, and just like the pirate his voice was strong and confident as if he was dealing with just a regular customer here. Pirates couldn't shake him, whether they were part of a Yonko crew or not, **"we managed to pick up some of the strongest and finest wood at the last port, and it can be all yours for the taking! If you just allow me to run the numbers so I can calculate a fair price-"**

The tall man was immediately interrupted by another growl coming from the lion. Unfortunately, that offer didn't seem to resonate with Pekoms.

**"Or how about you just give me what I asked for and in return we don't sink you and your ship, gao?"** he growled, his voice void of any sign that could suggest he was joking. Appearantly this guy was one of those pirates that didn't see a need to pay for any goods. But considering which crew he was part of, that was kind of to be expected. Usually Matthias would stand his ground and insist on payment, even with pirates, but Big Mom's wrath was definitely not something the merchant was ready to provocate. Not to mention that even the mink who was standing before him right now already had a more than impressive bounty on his own, despite not even being a 'core' member of the family. This was obviously a fight they couldn't win.

So with no other option but to grin and bear it, Matthias offered the pirate a small nod while the corners of his mouth began twitching.

**"Why, of course."**

Without saying another word the merchant then turned around, and as her father walked past her, Michelle could hear him mutter; _"damn pirates. Always bad for business."_ under his breathe. Matthias angrily waved with his hand to signal some of the sailors to follow behind him, so they could carry the pirate's 'order' back on deck, thus leaving Michelle and Marina alone with the lion-man.

**"Hmpf!"** said man was looking after Matthias for a moment before tilting his head to presumably scan the deck, but there was no way to tell for sure since his eyes were still hidden behind a thick pair of sunglasses. Michelle eyed the strange creature with caution, and although she encountered a handful of members of different races before, she was still mesmerized by how odd this pirate looked. After all, a talking lion wearing a cute pink suit wasn't something you see everyday.

But the young woman's curious glances didn't go unnoticed by him.

**"What are you looking at, gao?"** he snapped at Michelle, who was instantly startled by his sharp tone.

**"Nothing! Nothing at all!"**

She could see how the lion's lower lip started to tremble and then slowly pulled back to show a set of sharp teeth as warning. Whatever might have happened today, this guy was not in a good mood.

Already regretting her staring Michelle quickly looked to the side, silently hoping that the mink wouldn't attack anyone because of her. But luckily her father and sailors came back just a few seconds later, now carrying a bunch of large trunks of wood and ropes on their shoulders which they swiftly brought over to the pirate ship. The mink quickly glanced at the crafting materials and then gave a small nod, seemingly pleased with what he saw.

**"Gao! That should be enough to patch us up until we reach the outskirts of Tottoland!"** he then announced, his voice now sounding a little less tense and even somewhat relieved. With a snap of his fingers a dozen of almost identical looking little soldiers dressed in weird black and white costumes came running at Matthias and the sailors to quickly take the wood and ropes from them.

**"Get started on the repairs right away!"** the lion commanded, to which the small soldiers nodded and quickly hurried back to the ship. 

After releasing another small growl Pekoms then turned back to Matthias and the two women, and his overall posture instantly seemed a bit more relaxed.

**"You said you had chocolate too, right?"** he asked, to which Matthias nodded.

**"It's not much, but we did stock up on sweets a few days ago. Would you like me to bring it to you as well?"** his voice was rather snappy and carried a slightly challenging undertone, which didn't go unnoticed by Michelle. The young woman immediately had her fingers crossed that the lion wouldn't get mad or feel provocated because of her father's obviously defensive demeanor. But luckily, the pirate seemed to simply brush it off.

**"No, gao. I can get it myself, just tell me where to look,"** a large pink tongue darted out from the mink's mouth as he licked over his lips and took a step closer to the three people infront of him.

Matthias immediately tensed up at that, and his expression turned cold and hard. Oh, he definitely had a good idea of what this pirate might be thinking about. Like any other criminals, this guy probably wanted to scout the ship in search of some other valuable items to rob, or, knowing the gluttonous nature of the Big Mom Pirates, steal all of their food supplies. Both were not things Matthias would ever allow. Letting a pirate stroll around his ship without supervision? No way. The tall man quickly cleared his throat in response and waved at his daughter to signal her to step forward.

**"Of course. My daughter Michelle can show you to the storeroom and assist you in picking out the chocolate that might suit you the best. She has a rather keen eye for things like this."**

Michelle's face scrunched up at that. She did...? Her bewilderment was short-lived however as she quickly realized what her father was doing. He obviously didn't trust the pirate, so... was this his way of making sure the mink wouldn't try anything? And he choose his clumsy daughter of all people to keep an eye on him? Really?

The young woman swallowed hard but gave a quick nod to confirm what her father said. Okay, whatever. It wasn't like she hadn't dealt with pirates before. And so far, this Pekoms-guy didn't strike her as too bad. Grumpy yes, but not necessarily vicious.

The mink and Matthias continued to stare at each other for a few more moments (or at least that's what Michelle assumed was happening, given that she couldn't really see the lion's eyes) before he also nodded his head and uncrossed his arms.

**"That's fine with me, gao,"** Pekoms replied, his tone still cautious but not as hostile as before. He then turned to Michelle and slightly wagged his tail. 

"Let's go then!" the lion exclaimed, to which she quickly nodded and turned around to lead the way.

Michelle made sure to move quickly so she wouldn't need to be alone with the strange pirate for long, but at the same time she also decided to take a slightly longer path through the insides of the ship to avoid the private cabins so they wouldn't accidentally run into her younger brother. One could only imagine what might happen if the usually brash teenager came into contact with the grumpy mink, and this definitely wasn't a risk she was willing to take. With fast steps they quickly made their way through the long hallways, past the kitchen, dining rooms, infirmary, and down to the storeroom. The ship's storage was large and unfortunately rather dimly lit, so once the two arrived at the bottom of the stairs Michelle could immediately hear the pirate shift around behind her. Given how dark it was, the mink probably decided to take off his sunglasses so he'd be able to really see where they were going. And since she couldn't resist her bubbling curiosity, the young woman quickly peeked back over her shoulder to catch a tiny glance of Pekoms' now uncovered face. Her own eyes widened as she finally caught a glimpse of his, and before he could lash out at her for staring, she quickly turned back around and concentrated her attention on the room infront of them. 

Buttons. This intimidating lion had what looked like tiny, adorable buttons for eyes. She almost wanted to smile at that but instead straightened her back and walked ahead once more, not wanting to raise any suspicions. 

And even despite the large size of the room, Michelle knew exactly where to find the 'pantry' section. Her parents were extremely keen on keeping everything tidy and in order, which luckily made it rather easy to find whatever you were looking for. **"Ehm, right this way,"** she cleared her throat and lead the mink deeper into the room, hoping that the lack of light wouldn't make him suspicious or cause him to think that she might be leading him into a trap. As soon as they reached the pantry section at the far back of the room, Michelle wasted no time and immediately roamed through the shelves to find the chocolate for the pirate. She deliberately picked out the very best and most expensive, which her father was originally planning to sell at one of the upcoming harbors for a hefty price. But seeing how their lives where potentially still on the line here, she didn't really care about any possible consequences from his side right now. In her mind, it was probably for the best to just give the pirate what would please him the most.

**"Here it is!"** she announced maybe a bit too enthusiastically and pulled out a neatly wrapped chocolate bar to hand the mink. 

Pekoms mustered the treat with his tiny button eyes before he grabbed it and brought the snack close to his nose in order to get a quick sniff. He then peeled away the golden wrapping paper to take a small bite, and for some reason he still seemed to be rather cautious- almost as if he was afraid to get poisoned or something. Michelle almost held her breathe for a moment, too worried to think about what might happen if he didn't like it.

But all tension seemed to melt right off of him as his large- uhm, 'mouth' twisted upwards into a happy smile and his small black eyes started to sparkle. **"Gao! Yes, how delicious! Truly magnificient!"** the pirate purred and hastily took another bite, while Michelle allowed herself to sigh with relief.

**"I wouldn't have expected you little merchants to have such good chocolate,"** Pekoms continued and once the bar was devoured he quickly licked over his mouth, **"you got more of it? Some of our own stash was destroyed when a band of rookies thought they could be tough and attacked our ship, gao."**

Oh. So this was probably what caused the big hole in the side of their singing vessel then. Michelle figured, but then slowly shook her head.

**"I'm... I'm afraid we only have a few bars, sir,"** she admitted, and her tone was more relaxed but still a bit cautious. The pirate might seem to be in a better mood now that he got his chocolate, but that didn't mean that he was any less of a threat.

**"Hmpf, how unfortunate,"** the lion replied and scratched his mane, before he lowered his glasses again so they were covering his eyes once more, **"well in that case, I'll just take the remaining bars, gao!"**

Michelle of course didn't object to that and quickly roamed through the shelf once more to get him the rest of the chocolate. And although Pekoms' gaze was obscured again, she could still feel it burning into her back.

**"Say, girlie. You and your family travel around the seas to sell stuff right, gao?"**

Uh oh. Please no. _Anything but smalltalk._

**"Ahm... we do, yes,"** Michelle replied calmly and slowly turned around with the chocolate in her arms, however the nervous undertone in her voice was undeniable.

As soon as she was fully facing him again the lion quickly grabbed the chocolate, but his hidden gaze felt like it was still focussed on the young woman entirely. **"And you've been in the business for long, gao?"**

Michelle shook her head at that.

**"Well not me, but my parents are. They've been sailing around long before I was even born,"** she admitted and awkwardly rubbed her arms together while looking down at the ground, **"I'm... still learning."** it was only partly true, since she actually had no interest in carrying on the 'merchant traditions' herself, but decided that it wasn't worth mentioning to the pirate.

Michelle obviously had no clue where the lion was going with this, but instead of another question or answer, he then simply turned around and waggled with his tail to signal her that it was time to leave again. Whatever his reason for this weird little conversation was, it was appearantly over- which Michelle certainly didn't mind. Keeping up smalltalk wasn't one of her strengths anyway, so without further ado she quickly moved infront of him again and headed back upstairs.

On deck Matthias was already pacing around impatiently, but once he saw his daughter exit the cabin seemingly unharmed, a tired smile made its way onto his lips. The pirate next to her also appeared to be in a suprisingly chipper mood, and aside from a few chocolate bars he wasn't carrying anything else that might have suggested he went on a plundering spree in their storeroom. Good.

**"Gao! Alright, that should be all!"** the lion loudly announced as he unwrapped another chocolate bar to devour, and a few soldiers from his large vessel immediately came running over to inform their captain about the progress with the repairs of the ship.

It was Michelle's cue to leave the pirate's side and walk back over to her parents, who both seemed a bit more calm again. Luckily nothing had happened while she was gone, and judging by how the giant ship infront of them was singing a jollier tune now, it was safe to assume that they would be parting ways soon again. The young woman already wanted to sigh with relief as the mink nodded at some of his soldiers, who quickly hurried back to the ladder to climb on board of their own ship again, and she almost expected Pekoms to turn around and leave as well, when he suddenly changed directions and walked over to the small merchant family again. The young woman's expression tensed as the lion reached into his pocket and she could feel her mother shudder next to her, both obviously wondering what he was planning to do- or rather, what he would pull out of his suit. A weapon to attack? Some money to pay them after all? ...Or maybe a napkin to clean his now somewhat soiled mouth...?

But it turned out to be none of that.

**"Here, this is for you!"** the pirate growled and unceremoniously held out what looked like a wrinkly poster and log pose to Matthias.

The tall man didn't seem like he knew what was going on, but slowly reached out to grab the two items. **"Ehm... and this is?"**

**"For helping out the Big Mom Pirates today, see this as special thanks, gao,"** the lion clarified. Sure, they did help him, but it wasn't like he gave them any sort of choice though. And judging by her father's confused and disappointed expression, it was obvious that the merchant would have preferred actual money as 'thanks'.

**"Mama is hosting a big event right now! It allows new people to visit Tottoland and settle down on an island of their choice!"** Pekoms quickly added, and some of the small soldiers that had previously prepared everything to leave were now running back to assist their captain by enthusiastically nodding at his every word.

**"You people seem to know what's good for you, so consider this a more than generous offer, gao!"** his gaze then wandered from Matthias over to his wife and daughter and back again, **"actually smart merchants are rare to encounter here in the New World. And if what the girlie said is true, you should probably be well aware of that already. So believe me when I tell you that Tottoland could be the perfect place to expand your business and make some more lucrative connections..."** Pekoms concluded before he turned around to finally leave.

**"Think about it, gao! The gates of Tottoland remain open for everyone, and especially those that can prove themselves to be useful!"**

....and with that being said, the pirate signalled his soldiers to follow behind him as he climbed up the ladder and left the smaller ship's upper deck. Neither Matthias nor his wife or daughter had any intention of saying something in response, seeing how all three of them were rather stunned by the sudden offer. 

All they could do was silently watch as the mink disappeared on board of the singing ship, and even after the anchor was lifted and the large vessel turned around to leave, Michelle and her family continued to remain still in their places.

But once the pirate ship was out of sight and almost out of hearing range again, Matthias stuffed the log pose into his pocket and angrily crumbled up the poster in his hands before he threw it far across the deck.

**"First they rob us of our material, and now they expect us to move to their god-forsaken country as 'reward'? NONSENSE!"** he growled angrily, obviously still mad because of what happened. Matthias might have managed to control his resentment while the pirates were still around, but now that they were gone he was ready to fully let go of his pent-up feelings. Luckily his wife quickly took notice of that and immediately grabbed his hand to soothe him.

**"Don't freak out now, honey! Come, let's just go downstairs and get a good look at what they took... maybe it's not even that bad!"** Marina said in her usual, calm voice and looked up at her husband with a loving gaze. That seemed to help with calming the furious man down a little, and after Matthias grumbled a simple 'fine' in response he followed after his wife, thus leaving their daughter back on deck.

Michelle herself was still a little stunned because of what just happened, but after her parents left she quickly snapped out of her irritation as well. With hasty steps she walked over to grab the crumbled-up flyer her father threw away before a gust of wind could sweep it off the ship. Even she had to admit that the offer was quite preposterous, but getting rid of this poster without even taking a look at it? That might not be the smartest thing to do either. Now the sailors around her were already preparing to resume the ship's voyage as well, so before the deck could get too crowded, she decided to retreat back to her cabin and study it there.

Her 'room' was almost like a small storage, but enough for her to make do. The walls were covered with posters, stickers, and all sorts of souvenirs she kept from the previous islands they sailed to. Michelle loved to remember where her journey had taken her, and all the things she already experienced in her (considerably) short life. While humming a little she waddled over to her desk and immediately pulled out the flyer again. 

Yes the lion's offer came out of the blue, but then again this whole encounter was quite... weird. Truth be told the pirates did take some stuff without paying for it, but the young woman would hardly consider it a 'raid' like her father did. Not that it was an okay thing to do, but knowing how powerful the crew must have been, they could have easily plundered the merchants of everything they had. 

But they didn't.

They took the essential things to repair their ship (plus some chocolate) and left. This was a Yonko Crew we're talking about, and although the lion mink was rather intimidating, it was by far one of the most civil meetings Michelle and her family ever had with pirates. Well, top ten at least.

So although her father was obviously opposed to the idea of learning more about the country or the weird offer to move there, Michelle was... somewhat intrigued.

Especially considering how her search for a home of her own was already in full motion at the moment- and going absolutely miserable. A small groan escaped her as she thought back to the events of the past few weeks.

When Michelle first told her parents of her plans to settle down and make a living of her own, they weren't necessarily thrilled. In fact, a fight between the three quickly broke out, and thanks to both her and her father's argumentative nature, they parted ways rather sourly that day. Yes, the sea was like a home to her, but deep down she just longed for some... freedom. Which might sound ironic, considering that sailing around the world was basically the personification of freedom for many. But the thing was- no matter where they went, no matter what she did, it was never her call to make. Michelle was dependant on her parents in every way, and in her eyes it was time to try and stand on her own two feet. Not to mention... she also completely lacked any sense of privacy. Being surrounded by her family all day long was slowly starting to bother the young woman, and that plus the fact that staying with them would automatically mean she gets molded into a 'perfect' merchant just wasn't rubbing her the right way. It wasn't how she envisioned her life to play out.

But of course, being on her own wouldn't be easy either. That was exactly what her parents would always bring up whenever she talked about her ambitious plans to them. Any young person like her would have problems finding a place to belong, however it might be even more difficult for Michelle. Not just because of her socially awkward nature, but ontop of it all she was also... "physically limited". Thanks to a certain 'something' that happened not too long ago the young woman was suffering from severe issues that could keep her from ever living a normal life- she couldn't run or fight properly, nor could she overstep her limits unless she wanted to end up completely incapitated. And in a place like the New World, something like that could easily turn into a death sentence.

...But Michelle didn't want that to dominate her existence. She knew she could power through and eventually live a normal life, just like everyone else. When there's a will, there's a way- and she was more than willing to take this step towards her own independence and happiness.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she looked down at the wrinkly paper, now reading it for the very first time. The flyer was rather colorful and depicted what she presumed to be the main island of the country - it was a large, almost completely cake-shaped island with the title 'Whole Cake Island' written underneath. This was unlike anything she's ever seen before, even during all her travels in the New World- and if she would believe the rumors, every island in Big Mom's territority was themed after and made out of food like that. The young woman had no clue how that would be possible, but quickly shook off that thought again and concencrated her attention back on the rest of the flyer.

The caption next to the picture read the following: 

**The land of everyone's dreams! Protected by none other than the fabled Yonko herself, Big Mom~! Every race, every person, every last one of you is welcome here! Doesn't matter who you are or who you were, join us now and take part in the creation of the perfect dream country! A whole new life awaits you here~!**

**Come and see for yourself! Every island is open and yours to explore! Find your perfect home NOW!**

Michelle made sure to read through the lines a few more times, a thoughtful expression now on her face. Tottoland... A country made almost exclusively out of food, open to everyone, no matter what kind of person you were... Moving to such a place sounded like a dream... But appearantly, Big Mom was openly offering people to make that dream reality. To be fair, it almost seemed too good to be true- you could sail around the whole country, pick your favorite place to live, and bam! There you have it, everything you need to build a life of your own. No prejudice, no one holding you back... well according to what she heard you had to pay taxes with some part of your soul or something, but by now that sounded a lot better than most of the offers Michelle got at previous islands. 

Many towns she previously scouted were initially thrilled at the prospect of having a young, 'trained merchant' at their disposal, but upon finding out about her limited physical capacities and rather... 'modest' wealth (her parents always made sure to bring this up whenever they were talking to a landlord), interest as well as offers tended to drop immediately.

Of course there was still the chance that the very same might await her in Tottoland, but... you can never know unless you give it a try. A country ruled over by pirates- well, I mean it can't get any more 'free' and adventurous than that! Michelle thought to herself and gently smiled down at the flyer.

It may seem crazy, but she was really considering this.

And after all, there were no strings attached, right? So even if it turned out to be yet another bust, it wouldn't be the end of her quest to find a proper home.

Michelle slowly closed her eyes, her mind now made up. 

Yes. She was going to visit Tottoland and see for herself if it could really be 'the land of her dreams'!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Remember when I said that the next chapter would be about Michelle making her decision on where she wants to move...? Haha, jokes on me! In the end, I actually decided to split the chapter into two parts- this one mostly plays in the past and focusses on past decisions, whereas the next one would be about the present and concentrate on what's going on right now. I really wanted to give some insight on how she first found out about Tottoland as potential home (good job there Pekoms lol), and I definitely didn't want to end up writing 10.000 words in one chapter and just rush everything out. This felt more organized and proper, so yeah! A bit more context on her and her family felt good, especially since they won't really play such a major role in the future aaah haha :'D It might also be important to note that these are still... well, exposition chapters x'd I know that Michelle as character is still rather bland, but that's mostly because I want to properly set the scene before throwing her and all her issues at you guys :'D But once she's all set up in Tottoland, it will get a lot more personal, I promise! Which... oh boy... if everything goes smooth, is technically going to happen in the next chapter already! So stay tuned my dears, and again, thank you for reading~ :')


	5. Decisions- Part 2

Convincing her parents of her decision was not necessarily an easy task. Especially her father was rather conflicted when Michelle suggested they should sail to Tottoland and that she now considered it as an option to settle down. Although he had calmed down his anger from the previous encounter with the pirates and was a lot calmer by the time his daughter approached him, he was still anything but thrilled at the idea of following after them and entering their country.

...But with that being said, Michelle wouldn't be her father's daughter if she didn't know how to properly negotiate. And after a long conversation of backs and forths, she managed to persuade her parents into letting her have this opportunity.

And thus Matthias begrudgingly changed the ship's course and the family sailed for Tottoland. Luckily it only took a few days for them to already arrive at the outer parts of the Yonko's territory, which was still more than enough time for Michelle to search through the ship's library and look for any sort of information they might have on the strange country so she could prepare herself. And, admittedly, what she found was not much, but at least enough to give her a rough idea about what to expect.

However, both Pekoms and the flyer he handed them failed to mention one little detail though- if you wanted to participate in the moving system and independently check out all the different islands, you needed to sign a contract to promise that you would actually move to Tottoland once your journey through the country was over.

It was the first thing a Chess Soldier told the family when their ship tried to pass the border between Tottoland and the rest of the New World. According to him, the 'contract' primarily existed to keep regular tourists from leeching off all the special offers, but Matthias quickly retorted that it sounded more like a plan to lure in people and force them to stay dead on arrival. At that point the merchant was already prepared to turn the ship around and leave again, when his daughter made the probably brashest decision of her life- she would sign the contract and agree to move to Tottoland. That decision alone almost caused another fight with her father to break out, but thankfully the Chess Soldier from the Border Patrol offered a more detailed explanation on all the good opportunities this choice would bring to her, and Michelle did her best to agree and calm down her irritated father. She could take all the time she needed to sail through the country and then decide on the perfect place to move, plus her family and ship were also allowed to accompany her as both means of transportation and to possibly help her decide.

With no other option but to accept their daughter's brash decision, both Marina and Matthias slowly started to come to terms with the fact that there wasn't really much they could do to change her mind. It was her choice to make, and although it was extremely rushed, the contract was already signed. So even if Michelle came to regret it, this decision was now fully set in stone. There was no going back for her.

And from there on out the merchants did their best to loosen their pessimistic attitude and choose to assist Michelle with her search for a perfect home instead of making her feel doubtful. And in the end they actually came to enjoy their time in Tottoland, despite the rough first encounter with the Big Mom Pirates.

Besides, if this was really what their daughter wanted, who were they to deny it?

**~Present~**

And now, weeks after she made her fateful decision of moving to Tottoland, Michelle and her family were finally at the end of their journey through the country. Two more weeks had passed since their departure from Biscuits Island, and from there on out she and her parents continued to always stick together like they had done before. Tottoland definitely had much to offer, and just like she previously read in the books on their ship, every part of this kingdom was as unique as it could be. And that exactly was a prime reason why Michelle was so quick to decide that this might be a good place for her to move to. 

However, as fun as scouting the country was, it also started to get a little tiring after a while. Arriving at and leaving a new port day after day took a lot of energy out of everyone and was really not something the merchant family was previously used to. But still, except from Whole Cake Island (aka the main island of the country, which was ironically not included as potential settle-down-option) they managed to briefly visit almost every single place in Tottoland.

And during their temporary travels, Michelle and her parents even managed to encounter another core member of the Big Mom Pirates. Infact, the person they 'met' was not just part of the crew, but also a direct member of the Yonko's family.

It was none other than the very firstborn son of Big Mom- Charlotte Perospero. During their stay on Candy Island, Matthias managed to recognize him while they were strolling through the large plaza in the middle of Peroritown, where the Minister was in the midst of handing out candies to new visitors. And Matthias being Matthias of course pushed his daughter forward to approach the tall man, which ended in a rather awkward encounter of her stuttering an apology for 'bumping' into him before she hastily returned to her family again. Naturally Matthias was pretty disappointed in his daughter for 'passing up a golden opportunity like this', but it didn't end there.

Turns out that the Charlotte had actually followed her, appearantly to hand the small woman one of his lollipops as well. As he was grinning down at the still flustered Michelle he also claimed that she 'shouldn't miss out on delicious opportunities like this', which was an almost eerie repitition of what her father just told her. Although those words sounded rather cryptic to her, Michelle ended up accepting both his advice and lollipop with a somewhat confused nod.

And luckily, that small encounter was the only 'weird' event that happened to her for the rest of the trip.

Once the merchant family finished their voyage around the country it was straight to Whole Cake Island for them, where Michelle would then make her final decision and sign the papers to confirm her new living situation. And that was where the hard part of this whole experience came in- she needed to settle on the place she wanted to move to. Unfortunately the entries in her notebook were all rather sporadic and didn't really help as much as she had hoped, so she constantly tried to refresh her memory in order to remember each island individually and what she did/didn't like about it. The young woman was never particularly good at making decisions, but thanks to the added pressure of her needing to make up her mind before the ship would reach the capital, she forced herself to sit down and figure it out as quick as she could. Island after island got crossed off the list as Michelle started to nitpick and focus on literally any small detail that might help influence her final decision.

And ultimately she managed to narrow down the list to two possibilities: Biscuits Island and Candy Island.

One of the two managed to completely entrance her with how fairytale-esque and beautiful it was, whereas the other one was arguably... more practical to live on. As far as aesthetics go, Biscuits Island couldn't really keep up with the magical scenery Candy Island had to offer. However, the building as well as overall environment of Biscuits Island struck her as a lot more convenient when it comes to establishing a permanent living situation. Candy Island was beautiful no doubt, but lacked a certain sense of... stability. And of course it would be a lie to say that her previous encounter with the Minister of Biscuits didn't influence her interest in the island. Although they only spend a few hours together, Cracker really left a strong impression on Michelle. Maybe it was because of his larger than life personality or the fact that he didn't mind helping her out, but she was actually pretty curious to learn more about the odd man. He showed some genuine interest in her, and even if she couldn't tell if it was all sincere or not, this was still something new for her.

That thought alone greatly aided her with making up her mind.

So without hesitating any further, Michelle made her choice- **Biscuits Island it was.** And before she could begin to overthink and doubt her decision, the young woman quickly announced it to the rest of the family.

Her parents couldn't really argue against her decision since they hadn't been to said island before (which her father was later on lamenting about), but they took her word for it when she told them that it would definitely be an interesting place to live at. And hey, even if she ended up not liking Biscuits Island after all, she always had the option to move to another island later on. Appearantly the rules of how and where you want to continue living were pretty loose once you've agreed to just move to Tottoland in general. 

As soon as the papers were signed and Michelle paid for her future house, her family and the rest of the crew threw a large feast onboard of the merchant ship to celebrate. This would also be where the young merchant daughter would permanently part ways with everyone she knew for the first time ever, but despite the sober undertones, her father made sure that the mood throughout the party stayed happy and light-hearted. Drinks, food, and even the good stuff he usually saved for selling- this time the merchant held nothing back and did everything in his powers to give his daughter one spectacular goodbye party she wouldn't forget anytime soon. Everyone was still up and celebrating by the time the sun began to rise, but at some point Michelle retreated back inside to pack her bags and prepare herself for departure. It felt weird to know that this would be the very last time she stepped into her cabin, the room she technically grew up in, and that it would remain empty until her parents decided to turn it into a second office or something. But that was just one of the many changes that would await her.

No more being rocked to sleep by the sea, no more loud family chatter from the rooms next door, no more Sailor Shanties disturbing her naptime. She didn't know what her new life might have in store for her, but these were obviously things she wouldn't get to experience anymore.

But that was fine, right?

It was what she wanted, what she came to Tottoland for, wasn't it?

All these thoughts swirling around in her head caused Michelle's mood to take a light dip, and before she could get caught up in feelings of sorrow and regret, she finished packing her things and left the room again. 

Once the sun had fully risen and the harbor of Whole Cake Island became more lively, it was time for the real final goodbyes. The mood on the ship was a lot more damp than it was during the previous night; now almost everyone was feeling sad at the young merchant daughter for leaving the ship. A few sailors who've been with the merchant family for as long as Michelle could remember and basically contributed to raising her even reached out for more personal goodbye's, and with each farewell she could feel her heart sink a bit more in her chest. After all, the final part of her journey- sailing to Biscuits Island- was something she had to do on her own. The papers were signed, and since her family didn't plan on moving to Tottoland themselves, there was no reason for them to stay in the country any longer. Appearantly the rules for visitors were rather strict, and the merchants were only given a limit of three days to leave Tottoland, otherwise they had to sign a warrant that would extend their visitor-stay. That wasn't something Matthias was keen on since he had no desire to stay longer than necessary, not to mention that this whole 'trip' already put their usual trading and selling business on ice for weeks. At least he managed to chatter up a few people and acquire some possible connections for future deals, so he wouldn't leave Tottoland completely empty-handed. Despite the fact that he and the rest of the family would have loved to travel with Michelle and see her new house, they decided to leave as soon as she would sail off.

And saying goodbye to her family for an undisclosed amount of time turned out to be harder than the young woman had initially anticipated. Especially her mother Marina was obviously shaken and anxious due to the fact that this might be the last time she would see her oldest child for at least a few months, maybe even longer, and so her goodbye turned out more than just a little teary-eyed. Michelle had to promise that she would look after herself and stay in contact with her parents by regularly calling them on their Den Den Mushi, which she gladly agreed on to ease her mother's worries. Phillip was also rather sad to see his sister go, but since he knew that this wouldn't be goodbye forever, he did his best to stay optimistic and keep his farewell short and sweet. Just a little hug and some well-wishes between siblings was enough to not bring down their mood any further. Her father was less emotional than his wife, and funnily enough the only thing Matthias really seemed to be bothered by was the fact that he didn't get to check out the place his daughter had choosen as her home. But he guaranteed that they would visit soon to see it for themselves, and of course to also check on their child and how she was holding up. He send her off with words of encouragement and assured his daughter that he believed in her and that she would be able to eventually find her own way and happiness. Which served as a great final confident boost for Michelle, who was grateful that she didn't part from her family and crew on a sour or too sorrowful note.

After she bid farewell to everyone, the young woman was approached and escorted to a ferry that would sail straight for Biscuits Island. While boarding the ship she also got confirmation that the construction of her house was already set in full motion and would be finished by the time she arrives. Which might sound impossible, but considering how all the buildings in Tottoland are basically made out of food... it would make sense for them to be build faster than 'regular' houses. The Chess Soldiers that accompanied Michelle also made sure to inform her that she would need to have the house rebuild after a certain amount of time, because the food components it was made out of would eventually start to 'go bad' and rot. But since the land she purchased will be hers until she either dies or moves away, any costs to reconstruct the building would gradually diminish after a while.

Michelle's heart was beating at an increasingly high rate throughout the entire journey, and she found it extremely difficult to focus on anything else because of the many uncoordinated thoughts that swirled around her head. Only a little longer... and she would enter her very own home. The excitement and anticipation that were rushing through her veins almost caused the young woman to feel a little dizzy as well, and it just got worse when they finally reached the harbor of Biscuits Island.

Once they were docked, two Chess Soldiers followed her off the ferry- one was carrying all the luggage for her, and the other then explained that they would be the ones to lead her straight to her house. Michelle was definitely more than grateful for that, because by now it was pretty much a well-known fact that finding something on her own was nearly impossible for the young woman.

The soldiers guided her through most of the port and then to the nearby town, which they noted was where her house had been build. The giant cookie in the middle of the island came closer and closer the deeper they ventured through the lively streets of the island, and Michelle slowly started to get vague flashbacks from when she was wandering through the very same streets a few weeks ago. Only this time she had two soldiers leading her, and wasn't just strolling around on her own and without any sense of direction.

Eventually the three reached an enterily new district of the town, one that Michelle couldn't remember visiting before. They were now a good end away from the harbor, and although her hip began to slightly hurt again, all the excitement that was running through her veins for once actually managed to overpower the pain that was radiating from her hurt muscles. While they were walking to her house, the soldiers also started to fill her in on some general informations regarding her new living environment. Appearantly her new home was located in a rather quaint district where mostly families and lonely older people lived at. It was considerably far away from the busier parts of Cookie Town, and offered a pretty peaceful atmosphere to those people who didn't want to be kept awake by the buzzy sounds of others enjoying the vivid nightlife of Cookie Town.

Considering that Michelle wasn't really much of a party-goer herself and usually preferred to spend her evenings in quiet solitude, that sounded perfect to her.

It didn't take long until they started to pass less large buildings and increasingly smaller houses, which meant that they probably entered the neighbourhood the soldiers were previously telling Michelle about. The young woman could barely contain her excitement as she gazed around all the different houses at the sides of the street, each more cutesy-looking than the previous. Would she get to live in a cozy little residence like one of those? Or maybe something a little more extravagant, like the few small mansions scattered inbetween...? After all, the only thing she had to fill in about her future home was which color she would like the roof to have, otherwise Michelle had little to no clue about what the rest of the building might look like.

For a second she got so lost in her thoughts that she almost bumped into the soldiers, who had suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. To their right was a small two-story house, which was made out of biscuits like pretty much every other building, but this one somewhat stood out from the rest thanks to its bright blue roof. Blue roof... that was the color she had choosen for her house! Could it be...?

**"Ah! Is... is that it?"** Michelle asked and pointed a slightly shaking finger at the building, to which the soldiers nodded.

**"Yes yes! We were told that constructions just finished shortly before we arrived, so caution is advised! The chocolate might not be fully hardened in certain places yet, so it'd be for the best to not touch the walls!"**

The young woman absent-mindedly nodded at what the soldier said, but it was clear that her attention was now fully directed at the house infront of them. _Her_ house.

It was small, but definitely more than enough for Michelle. Her parents left her with a pretty generous amount of money, but she didn't want to blow it all on some luxurious mansion that would be rotten down in a few weeks. And a smaller house seemed like the best thing to start with anyway.

And just by looking at it now, she knew she made the right decision. 

**„...The roof is made of a special type of hardened candy, non-see-through, and in the color aquamarine, just like the future owner described. Windows consist of glass candy, and are capable of resisting high amounts of heat without melting. Most of the walls are solely made out of biscuits, with a few chocolate-covered exceptions. The bedroom can be found upstairs, along with a bathroom and a mini-library. Downstairs is the kitchen, a second bathroom, and a small living room which can also be used for dining."** the soldier listed, and Michelle simply continued to nod her head at everything he said, unable to tear her gaze from the residence. The longer she looked at it the more details she noticed, and a wave of positive emotions swept through her being as she let out a dreamy sigh.

**"...by purchasing this piece of land, the owner, Miss Michelle, automatically becomes part of the Shortbread District. A welcoming party consisting of people from the neighbourhood is to be expected. The first 'soul tribut' will be due at the end of the month, but more infos on that shall be provided by the responsible authorities."** the little man concluded and while the other soldier dropped the luggage for Michelle, he reached into his pockets and pulled out a small item. It was the key to the house. At first he simply held it out to the young woman and expected her to take it, but she was still so lost in her amazement and wonder that she didn't even notice. Once they realized that she wasn't really paying any attention to them, both of the soldiers exchanged a quick glance before the one with the key stepped forward and carefully tugged at the young woman's dress.

**"Ahem. The key, Ma'am....?"** That seemed to be enough for her to snap out of her trance.

**"O-Oh! Of course!"** Michelle hastily reached for the small item, before bowing her head in grattitude, "Thank you! Thank you so much!" her voice sounded a bit more meek than before, which was probably due to how overwhelmed she was. But the soldiers didn't seem to mind, and instead simultaneously returned the gesture before turning around to leave.

Having at last carried out their orders, the two then quickly dismissed themselves and left Michelle to her own devices and new home. The young woman could still feel her heart pounding in her chest as she turned the key between her fingers and mustered the small item up close. This was it. The key to her very own home, and a new life. Unable to contain her excitement, Michelle looked up at her house once more, and shakily took a few steps towards the door. It was time. She thoroughly admired the outside, and now it was finally time to see what the inside was like.

A bright smile grazed her lips as she turned the key in the keyhole and for the first time ever, entered her own house.

**Meanwhile, somewhere else on the island**

Fuchsia-colored eyes searched through a bunch of papers sprawled out on a dark desk, seemingly looking for something interesting to focus on. The latest batch of reports with information on the new citizens had just arrived at this man's office, and like usual he saw it as his duty to do a thorough check-up on the people who recently moved to _his_ island.

That was when on one flyer, the picture of someone... somewhat familiar suddenly caught his eyes.

**„Hehe... well, who do we have here~?"** a grin immediately appeared on the man's lips as he lifted the paper up close to his face. His gaze quickly scanned through the lines of text that were describing this new citizen, before he focussed on the picture again. A small spark of excitement ran down his spine as his grin widened.

**"So you did choose my island after all, mh? Hah, just as I expected! Now... Question is, what shall I do with you? 'Little one'~?"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: *gasp* A 'short' chapter??? Could this really be... xD??? Sorry for how rushed it is! I'm aware that things move reeeally fast in here, but to be honest I really wanted to get the introductory part over with. It basically dragged on ever since the prologue, and looking back I probably should have cut quite a few things huhu. Well and despite its comparably short length, this was actually by far the hardest one to write so far. Aaaaand it's also the one I'm the absolute least proud of, despite working on it for over two solid weeks x'''D If I could I would use the excuse that it's simply supposed to be a bridge chapter so the real good stuff can at last begin, but that doesn't really excuse how boring it turned out to be x'D But hey, at least the prologue part of this fanfic is now concluded!!! From here on out it'll focus solely on Michelle's life on Biscuit Island and all the whacky interactions that await~ And no worries, as you might have already guessed, a certain... Biscuitman is finally going to show his face again as well ;) I got most of the drafts for upcoming chapters in the works too, so hopefully I'll be able to settle for a proper schedule soon! The real good stuff is about to come, so I hope that'll be enough to justify this subpar chapter haha :'D


	6. New Life

As soon as Michelle opened the door, a wave of delicious scents immediately flooded her senses. Cinnamon, freshly baked pastries, and dark chocolate were the very first things she was reminded of. Her eyes scanned through the room, which she figured must be the living and dining room- given that there was a large table and couch standing in the middle of it. The walls were all made out of biscuits and partly coated in chocolate, with certain parts still looking as if they were glistening or wet. She remembered that the soldier said the chocolate might not be fully dry yet, so she should probably refrain from touching the walls for now.

With small steps Michelle passed through the room, all while soaking in every little detail with her bright blue eyes. Across from the table and couch were also two tiny bookcases with a nightstand and rocking chair placed infront of them. This could probably serve as some sort of little reading corner, or a place for her to relax. Other than that there was really nothing else to inspect, but given that the room wasn't that big to begin with, it didn't look like she would need to buy any new furniture for now. _Maybe I could hang up a few pictures once the walls are fully dry..._ she smiled and gently ran a hand over the smooth leather of her new couch before moving on.

Aside from a staircase, there were also two doors leading into seperate rooms. One of them turned out to be a small bathroom with just a toilet and sink, and the other one led into the kitchen. After she put down her baggage in the living room, Michelle walked over to check that out next. 

The kitchen was not that big either, but just like the living room it had all the necessary furniture already and was also equipped with a lot of kitchenwares. There was an oven, a stove for cooking, lots of different sized pots and pans hanging from the walls... and upon opening the cupboards next to them, she also found a good amount of cutlery inside. _Alright, so I'm obviously not short on cooking equipment. That's one less thing to worry about._ Michelle breathed a quick sigh of relief before looking over at the fridge, wondering if they might have left her some food as well. But a look inside showed that it was completely empty. _Mh, figures. I guess that's the first thing I should take care of..._ she thought to herself and closed the door again. Now that she had examined everything downstairs, she walked back into to the living room and towards the staircase.

Michelle then grabbed her baggage and carefully made her way up the stairs, excited to see what the upper floor had to offer. 

This time she had three doors leading into seperate rooms, and the first one she opened belonged to the bedroom. It was a bit bigger than the cabin on her parents' ship, but still considerably small. 

....Well, the whole house was build with a single resident in mind, so it wasn't really that suprising that everything was a bit more... on the minimalistic side. And even if it wasn't all that big, it should definitely be more than enough for her! The room still had a double bed, two closests, a desk with a large marshmallow as stool infront of it, and some small nightstands next to the bed. Naturally the closets were both empty, and Michelle decided that she would leave her luggage there for now and unpack everything later.

When she entered the next chamber, Michelle was initially a bit confused as to what exactly it was supposed to be- the only furniture in the room were three small bookcases neatly lined up against one wall and a single small chair in the middle of it, and that was it. The young woman could feel the wheels inside her mind turning as she tried to make sense of the purpose of this room.

_Hold on- could this be the 'mini-library' the soldier was talking about...?_ Michelle furrowed her brows as she looked around the small chamber some more, _The last room ought to be a bathroom, so this has to be it! But... only a handful of bookcases and one little chair? Is that really all?_ The disappointment was clearly written all over her face. Of course she didn't expect a fully equipped library or something, but this seemed rather underwhelming. 'Reading Room' might be a more fitting term for it rather than 'Mini-Library'...

But oh well.

At least the books could give her some insight on Tottoland literature, right? With a somewhat disheartened look still on her face, Michelle walked over to the nearest bookcases and pulled out one of the larger novels. Its surface felt pretty new and smooth, and the title read „Married to a kitchen pot- but love happens, so what can you do?" She quickly skimmed through some of the pages and decided that it might be worth checking out later, and moved on for now.

After the disappointment that was the Mini-Library, Michelle went back to the hallway and then entered the last room of the upper floor.

Just as expected it turned out to be another bathroom, and funnily enough, it also seemed to be the largest room in the entire house- unlike the smaller one downstairs, this one had a shower, a small bathtub, a toilet with a large mirror and sink across from it, and even a medical cabinet was installed on wall... There wasn't really anything else to say- just like the rest of the house, it had everything she would need and was more than big enough to accomodate her.

However, the only thing that really suprised Michelle about the house in general was how quiet everything was. Literally any other place in Tottoland was crawling with living objects, and by now she had actually gotten pretty used to the constant singing- and talking from furniture already. In fact, this sudden silence... almost had something eery to it. _Perhaps it's because my house was just build, so no 'soul fragment' or whatever it is has found its way in here yet..._ she figured, and immediately wondered what the first object to come to live might be. Hopefully it won't be the toilet... she shuddered at that thought and then went back downstairs and into her living room to sit on the couch.

Now that Michelle took notice of roughly everything her new home had to offer, it was time to make a mental to-do list on what she would need for the next few days. Obviously food was the first thing she could think of, and in order to buy food you need money. _Mhh... I should be able to hold out for at least a few months with what my parents left me with..._ Michelle thought to herself and mentally revised how much cash she currently had, _but just living off of that is definitely not a permanent solution! I need to get a job to provide for myself, that's for sure..._

...And it was one of the main reasons why she wanted to live on her own, after all. This way she could take care of herself without being anyone else's liability. So yeah, finding a job was definitely high on her priority list as well, and if possible she'd want to take care of that soon. 

But where could she look for work? ...And more importantly, what sort of employment was she even qualified for? **"If anything I could apply for a position as saleswoman or cashier in some shop for now,"** she muttered to herself and tapped a finger against her chin, **"after all... I am trained as merchant!"**

That might be a good starting point. Unfortunately though the only place she remembered from her visit a few weeks ago was the souvenir shop at the harbor, and although the old cashier seemed pretty nice back then, it was definitely too far away from her current residence to be considered as possible workplace. She'd probably get completely lost trying to find it again! And other than that, there wasn't really anyone she knew yet that could help her with finding a job close by either.

But, whatever. If it really came down to it then she could probably ask some neighbours about places that were hiring, so technically finding a work-position was still something Michelle could take care of later.

**"First things first!"** her voice got a bit louder as she stood up and pushed those bothersome thoughts aside for now, **"before I can look for a job, I need to fill the fridge with some food!"**

Without any hesitation Michelle briefly checked her pocket for some money and made her way over to the door, ready to set out again. Hm, maybe I'll even find a boutique as well...? The clothes I brought with me are nice, but the dresses some of the women here wear... man, they look so pretty! she smiled a bit at that idea and already opened the front door to leave, when a new thought suddenly caused her to stop right in her tracks.

**Wait.**

...Where would she even go?

**"Ahhh that's right! I don't even know where I am!"** That realization immediately made her slap a hand against her forehead. She literally just arrived at the neighbourhood, and even during the walk to her house she was far too busy with being excited for her new home that she completely forgot to ask the soldiers about essential things like nearby stores to buy food at. Technically speaking, she was currently stranded in an unknown place and without any sort of proper guidance to help her.

A tingling feeling of panic began to surge through her body as Michelle closed the door again and slowly went back to the couch. What was she supposed to do now...? The soldiers were long gone and she couldn't think of anyone else to help her....

The soldiers....

_That's right!_

Didn't one of them tell her that some sort of **'welcoming party'** was supposed to visit her....?

_Alright Michelle. It's your first day, and you haven't even unpacked your bags yet. Relax. You'll get some help eventually._ she sighed and took a deep breath to fight off her steadily growing worries, _Let's just wait and see if any greeting comittee really shows up... If not, then you can just go and ask a neighbour later. Yeah. The people here are probably happy to help you, so there's no reason to fall into despair!_

So before she could worry any further, the young woman waddled up the stairs again to grab the book she previously looked at in the Mini-Library, made her way back downstairs, and sat down in the living room to begin reading while simultaneously waiting for someone to come greet her.

~*~

It wasn't until she reached page 43, aka the part of the book where the protagonist realized that he had fallen in love with a teapot, when a knock on the front door suddenly pulled her attention away from the incredibly detailed pot-love story. She immediately put the book down and jumped up from her couch, and after quickly running a hand through her hair to make sure that she didn't look too messy, Michelle hurried over to open the door.

Obviously she expected a human neighbour to come visit her, so she was definitely quite suprised and a bit startled to come face to face- or rather, face to _bark_ \- with a huge, living tree instead. _Was... was he really the one that knocked on her door...?_

**"Hello new friend~! Tree-stan here, your groooovy neighbor bud!"** the tree announced cheerfully and immediately tried to make his way through the door and into her house, which proved to be quite difficult thanks to the size of his thick branches. Michelle was now holding onto the doorknob in an almost protective manner, more than a bit dumbfounded at what was going on.

**"Yes I've heard it, heard all about it~! Someone finally bought this vacant property and now I've got a new friend to hang out with!!!! Ohhh and a really pretty one ontop of that! Hooray, hooray for Treestan!"** the tree continued to cheer and even winked at the young woman, which finally prompted her to open her mouth and return the greeting.

**"I see! It's, uhm, nice to meet you, Treestan...? My name is Michelle!"** a look of uncertainty was still on her face, but she did her best to match his energy and not come across as impolite. She then quickly stepped to the side as the tree finally squeezed himself though the door and into her living room, where he promptly started to... uh... 'shake' his branches.

**"Phew! Gotta say Michelle, your door is waaaay too tiny! You oughta make it bigger so I don't have to squeeze my branches like this!"** 'Treestan' huffed while he scanned the room, and the still drying chocolate walls quickly seemed to catch his attention.

**"Oh HEY! Chocolate? Is that chocolate?! Ahhh gimme just a second- if I wanna be in the presence of a cutie like you, I ought to moisturize my leaves a bit~!"** an excited screech left the tree as he changed his course and waddled over to the chocolate-covered walls. It took Michelle a second to figure out what he was planning to do, but once Treestan started to rub his branches against the chocolate, a sudden wave of panic overcame her. _The walls are still moist! If he rubs his leaves against them now, then they might-_

**"N-No Mister Treestan, wait! That wall isn't dry yet-"** the young woman was already on her way to stop him from getting his leaves stuck in the chocolate, when the sound of someone else stomping past the front door echoed through the room.

**"Ohohoho! See Gereo, I told you it would be a young lady! After all, the Shortbread District could use some more fresh, youthful energy~!"** a loud and energetic voice proclaimed, which caused Michelle to twirl around like a whirlwind to face the stranger who just entered her house. But instead of just one, it turned out to be two people: an elderly woman with a funny hat and glasses, and a man with a giant mustache, who was nodding his head in apparant agreement to whatever the lady said. Neither one was looking her way, and just like the tree did before, they simply gazed around the living room with curiosity.

At this point Michelle figured that it might be for the best if she just closed the door before someone else could stroll in; but right after the elderly couple entered her house, she noticed that yet _another_ person was already standing right in the doorway again. This time it was a young woman, who looked to be around Michelle's age. **"Come now Miss Panea! You can't just enter other people's houses like that!"** the stranger protested but also walked right past the door without waiting for the owner to invite her in. However, she at least had the courtesy to lock eyes with Michelle and quickly nodded at her.

**"Name's Umi! It's nice to see another young face around these parts!"** the younger woman grinned and then turned to the tree, who was still rubbing his branches against the wall.

**"Hey, Treestan! That's no way to behave around our newest neighbour! Get your leaves outta the chocolate!"** she growled and narrowed her eyes to shoot him a nasty look. Seemingly intimidated by the young woman's angry tone, the tree gulped and stopped with his rubbing for a second before he finally seperated himself from the wall completely. But alas, the damage was already done- a few of his leaves were now stuck in the still-glistening chocolate. Michelle audibly sighed at the sight and already started to make her way over to the wall to try and get the leaves out of the chocolate, when the older lady, who was previously looking around her house, suddenly walked up to Michelle and grabbed her by the hand.

**"Oh I'm sorry, I completely forgot to introduce myself! Geez, where are my manners...? I'm Panea, I live a few houses way. And this-"** she pointed at the elderly man next to her, **"is my handsome husband Gereo! We're here to welcome you to our neighbourhood!"**

**"Ah, I see! My name is.... Michelle. It's a pleasure to meet you!"** the young woman replied with basically the same greeting she already uttered to Treestan, but her tone was a lot more hesitant now, and her eyes were still focussed on the leaves in her wall. However, Miss Panea didn't seem to notice that.

**"Michelle, what a pretty name for a pretty gal! It suits you, it really does!"** the older lady continued and smiled brightly, **"I'm sure you'll just loooove it here! The Shortbread District is a wonderful place to live at! ... And arguably the most friendly and open neighbourhood in all of Biscuits Island, if I may add."** her smile slightly grew at that last part, and there was an undeniable sense of pride in how Panea talked about her home.

Since Michelle didn't want to come across as if she was ignoring her guest, she quickly tore her gaze from the wall and directed her full attention towards Panea now, who was still holding onto her hand. _Come now, these are your neighbours- don't be disrespectful. Try to be more joyful, like her!_ she thought to herself and put on a small smile as well.

**"Y-Yeah, I've heard some pretty good things about this place! I definitely can't wait to see everything the Shortbread District has to offer."** she nodded happily, and did her best to try and match Panea's enthusiasm.

**"Hohoho, that's the spirit! You know, it's been a while since we last welcomed a neighbour as young as you! Most people that move here are either a bit older or have families with them."**

_Mh, I think the soldier from earlier said something similiar!_ Michelle thought and nodded at Panea once more.

**"Well, I'm definitely honored to be a part of this neighbourhood! Hopefully I can adapt to my new life here soon."** her tone got a bit lighter as she was starting to feel more comfortable. Seemingly pleased with the young woman's response, Panea nodded back at her as if she was silently agreeing. 

It was then that Michelle looked around her guests once more and suddenly realized something. _Right! This might be a good time to speak up about my problem!_ **„Uhm... I wish I could offer you something- like some beverages or a snack- but I'm afraid I didn't get the opportunity to stock up on food yet,"** she admitted and used her free hand to awkwardly scratch the back of her head, **"not to mention that I don't even know where I could get any food or groceries to begin with... actually, I've been meaning to ask if-"**

**„Oh no no no no, don't you worry dearie!"** Panea immediately interrupted Michelle again and then waved at her husband, **„this is what we're here for, after all! How rude of us for forgetting- me and Gereo, we got you some welcoming gifts! To help you start your new life~!"** the older woman's gaze sharpened as if she was silently uttering a command to her husband, who suddenly hurried outside and returned a few moments later with five large baskets stacked upon each other in his arms. _Huh, guess it's obvious who's wearing the pants in that relationship..._ Michelle noted before she walked over to the older man, curious to take a look at what he brought with him. Gereo promptly put the baskets down so the young woman could better inspect their contents, and Michelle's eyes immediately widened as she realized what was inside. They were all filled to the brim with fresh food! Vegetables, fruits, and of course, pastries- enough of it to help her hold out for at least a week!

**"Oh- oh wow, is this really all for me...? Thank you so much! This is too generous of you!"** she beamed and turned to Panea, **"by any chance, could you possibly tell me where I might find a grocery store as well? So I can also stock up on food in the future?"**

The excited glint in her eyes caused the elderly woman to giggle, and she happily nodded her head in agreement.

**"Of course, of course! As a matter of fact, we could even visit you the coming days and help you find your way around the neighbourhood, if you'd like that!"**

**"...Heh, I think it might be for the best if I assist her with that! I can also show Michelle all the cool spots where we younger people like to hang, wouldn't you agree?"** Umi suddenly jumped in on the conversation and looked at Panea with a questioning look.

**"Mh.... well, I suppose that would be fine too,"** Panea seemed to think about her suggestion for a moment, but then shrugged at Umi. Although she would have been more than happy to show the new neighbour around on her own, letting Michelle keep the company of someone around her own age for now didn't sound like such a bad idea either. So instead of starting an argument over this the older woman turned her attention back to the owner of the house- who seemed to be happy with whatever conclusion they reached and still smiled at the food-filled baskets with a joyeous look on her face. That sight alone was enough to cause Panea's own enthusiastic expression to return once more as she giggled at the young woman.

**"Ohhh but look at you, all smiling and happy like that! What a pretty little peach you are! A beautiful young girl like you definitely shouldn't live all on her own- tell me dear, surely you must have a boyfriend, right? Mhhhhh?"** she expectantly perked up an eyebrow to accencuate her words, which immediately caused Michelle to tear her attention away from the baskets as turned as red as a tomato.

**"Ahem, n-no! I live here by myself!"**

**"You do? Oh but that's such a shame!"** Panea tilted her head to the side as she furrowed her brows, causing a few wrinkles to form on her forehead. Suddenly her face lit up and she pointed over at the tree-homie, who still had some chocolate stuck in his branches. **"I know! Dear old Treestan here has been on the lookout for some... female company lately! Maybe you two should try and get to know each other a little better~."** Panea suggested and winked at the young woman.

Michelle didn't know whether to sweatdrop or wheeze at that. Was this lady seriously trying to set her up with a tree right now...? _I might have heard of human-homie relationships before, but that's definitely not something I'd be interested in exploring myself!_ her smile slightly started to twitch as she found herself at a loss of words, not sure on how she could respond to this idea without possibly offending anyone.

But luckily, that decision was taken from her as someone else spoke up again.

**"Ma'am please, you really shouldn't try to set up every newcomer with the damn tree!"** Umi threw in while simultaneously clicking her tongue and rolling with her eyes. Appearantly this wasn't the first time the older lady had tried this, but of course Michelle couldn't know about that. Good thing that Umi was around and managed to save her from any accidental embarrassment! Michelle breathed a quick sigh of relief before picking up one of the baskets so she could carry them into the kitchen. This was basically her way of escaping from this awkward encounter. However just as Michelle begun walking, she failed to notice how the guests were staring at her. 

She had unconsciously started to limp again, and now that she was also carrying the baskets in her arms, it was kind of obvious that something wasn't quite right with her.

**"Fine fine! Oh, but why don't you tell us a little about yourself, dearie? Mhhh?"** Panea inquired, her sharp gaze still focussed on the new neighbour. Luckily the kitchen was right there next to the living room, so they could continue to talk normally while Michelle carried the baskets into the other room.

**"W-Well..."** she took a moment to think about the question, not really sure on what she could tell them about herself, **"I, uh, used to travel around the seas with my family until now. My parents are both merchants, but I thought that it might be nice if I settled down instead of carrying on their business- and that's basically how I landed here."**

**"I see! A wise decision, really- I can promise you dear, Tottoland leaves nothing to be desired!"** Panea nodded with a knowing smile, which Michelle quickly mirrored. 

...But as the young woman continued to carry the food-filled baskets from one place to another, her posture and walk got increasingly weirder, and a somewhat uncomfortable expression made its way onto her face. The pain was starting to get more noticeable, and Michelle had a pretty hard time hiding it now. 

Treestan, Gereo as well as Umi just continued to watch her in silence, but Panea decided to speak up once more.

**"I really hope you don't mind me asking this, my dear... but what's wrong with your walk? You look as if you're in pain,"** her voice was suprisingly serious and almost had something worrisome in it as she continued, **"did you step on something? Did Treestan run you over when he entered the house?!"**

The tree loudly gasped at that, visibly offended at the accusations that were suddenly thrown his way. But Michelle quickly shook her head and did her best to smile in an attempt to reassure the older woman.

**"No, it's none of that! I have, uh, a special hip condition, so to speak. It often causes me pain and as a result... I can't really walk normally."** she briefly explained, but upon noticing Panea's increasingly worried expression, she quickly added: **"But I've been dealing with this for quite a while now, so it's fine!"**

The elderly lady didn't say a thing as she quietly walked over to Michelle, and forced her to drop the basket she was currently carrying to once again take her hand in hers.

**"Oh you poor, poor dear... so young and already in so much pain..."** her lip was quivering as she looked up at Michelle, who was slowly beginning to panic a little. _Is she gonna cry?! Argh, please don't-_

**"I-It's okay Miss Panea, really! I'm used to it, so it's nothing-"**

**"Shhhhh, come here, come here now."** the older lady suddenly wrapped her frail arms around the young woman, thus pulling her into an awkward hug. Everyone in the room was now watching them, and a wave of nervosity and embarrassment immediately washed over Michelle. But regardless of their audience, she still did her best to swallow down those feelings and simply returned the hug, hoping that this might help Miss Panea calm down again. And although the hug started out pretty awkward, Michelle soon found herself relaxing a bit in the older woman's arms. Lady Panea kind of smelled like rosemary and thyme, and with her gentle yet heartfelt embrace, she really reminded Michelle of her own mother in that moment. It was... almost kind of comforting. _Still embarrassing,_ but... comforting.

**"Don't worry dear... I'll take care of you..."**

Not knowing what else to do or say, Michelle simply nodded her head in a weak attempt to agree.

After their dramatic moment was over, she and her guests continued to exchange smalltalk for a few more minutes, and eventually her new neighbours also started to introduce themselves a bit more properly. 

Despite her young age, Umi was already working as a construction overseer, and a majority of the buildings in the Shortbread District were actually build under her command. She also happened to live right across the street, so if Michelle ever needed anything in general, she could always just walk over and visit. Panea and her husband Gereo were both bakery owners until their daughter took over the business a few years ago, and now the retired couple spends most of their days 'just being good and helpful neighbours'. Their home was a little further down the street, and the bakery was basically right next to their house. Treestan-... well, he's a tree. And appearantly, just as Panea noted earlier, he's also the biggest bachelor in all of Cookie Town. At first he tried to 'impress' Michelle by shoving his chocolate-covered branches into her face (however that's so supposed to work is a mystery to her), but after she continued to ignore his weird flirting attempts he slowly started to back off and eventually left her house with the explanation that he had to show off his 'sweet branches' to 'someone who could truly appreciate them'. That was fine with the young woman; even though she felt a little guilty for indirectly rejecting him like that. But she just arrived at the neighbourhood, and throwing herself into some sort of weird romance with a tree was definitely not something she was planning on doing.

After Treestan left, Michelle was starting to feel a lot more comfortable around the people as their conversations went on, but part of her was already getting a bit tired due to everything that went down today. She definitely didn't want to be disrespectful and just evict her guests; however it was getting harder and harder for her to stay concentrated, and from time to time she would even space out completely. And not to mention that there was still stuff for her to do too- like unpacking her bags and getting everything ready for the night... But since she didn't want to leave a bad impression, Michelle decided to just grin and bear it.

After around half-an hour of talking with the guests about their families and lives, Miss Panea's husband suddenly nudged his wife with his elbow and pointed at a small watch wrapped around his wrist. And as if she just realized something terrifying, the older woman put a hand against her mouth and nodded at Gereo.

**"Oh godness, I almost forgot! We still have two other new neighbours to greet!"** she then turned to Michelle and bowed apologetically, **"You have to forgive us dear, but we have to leave for now!"**

The young woman almost breathed a sigh of relief at that.

**"It's fine! I'm really grateful for your visit- oh, and all the food you left me!"** Michelle replied cheerfully, and the older lady quickly grabbed her hand one final time.

**"I'll definitely make sure to visit you soon. Don't worry Michelle, Panea won't forget about you!"**

Michelle just nodded awkwardly, still a bit unsure on what exactly Miss Panea meant by that. After the elderly couple walked out of the door, the other young woman stepped up to her and gently nudged Michelle with her elbow.

**"See ya soon, girlfriend! And don't forget- I'll come by tomorrow to give you a little tour around, so you better make sure to get a good night's rest!"** Umi winked before following after the couple, thus leaving Michelle to herself.

The immediately following silence was for once more than welcomed. Because now that the guests were all gone Michelle could finally shut the door again and take a second to breath. This was all quite unexpected, but good. At least now she knew that her neighbours were pretty nice and willing to help her out! She then directed her attention towards the baskets in the kitchen and chuckled with content. _Well, I guess I won't need to worry about groceries after all! Especially since Umi wants to come over again tomorrow and show me where I can get all the essentials..._ Yeah. Right in this moment, she couldn't think of a single thing to worry about.

And with no one else around to keep her company anymore, it was finally time to unpack her bags and really start settling in. Aside from the usual stuff like sorting her clothes into the closet and putting her washing utensils into the bathroom, Michelle also hung up a few pictures of herself and her family, to give the house a bit more of a "personal touch". Once her normal bags were all empty and stored away, she directed her attention to the one piece of luggage she had been purposefully ignoring for most of the time. It was the one bag that contained all of her health-related items. To Michelle it was always somewhat of a grim reminder of what she had to deal with in her life now, but over the time she had grown considerably numb and indifferent to it. Without wasting a single moment she put her painkillers and other pills into the medical cabinet, and then sorted her special bandages into her closet. Her crutches however... just to be on the safe side, she placed them against her bed for now; so they would always be within reach if she needed them. Getting everything out of her bags and sorting it into place took longer than she had thought, and by the time Michelle was completely done, the sun had already begun setting outside of her window. It didn't even suprise her. Today has been a pretty long day after all! 

_Guess I better grab something to eat and then head off to bed. If Umi wants to visit and show me around tomorrow I better be completely rested and filled with energy!_ So with that in mind, Michelle went back downstairs and into the kitchen. Inbetween the larger baskets that were filled with pastries and vegetables she spotted a smaller one that contained only strawberries- which seemed like the perfect goodnight-treat to her.

Once she returned to her bedroom Michelle sat at the window and watched the outside world for a bit, while occasionally munching on a strawberry. Aside from a few people and homies walking through the streets, the town seemed suprisingly empty. Probably because it was nighttime already. Now that the sun had set and the lanterns at the corners of the streets as well as the moon were the only things that illuminated the outside, the usually so busy country looked... pretty peaceful. Faint singing from a few homies could still be heard in the distance, but it was so weak that it sounded more like a goodnight-lullaby rather than the upbeat hymns they were usually singing. Eventually Michelle begun to yawn and was finding it harder to keep her eyes opened, so she slowly left her window and slumped over to her bed.

But despite being obviously tired, there was also a lot of excitement still running through her body. After all, this was going to be the first night she'd spend in her new home!

_Man, it still feels a bit surreal to think that this is really my house now,_ Michelle thought to herself as she laid down on her bed, _honestly it doesn't feel like it. It's more as if I'm invited to a special type of pyjama party... one where I'm actually the host! ....Ahhh... No no, I gotta calm down now! Goodnight!_ Although her lip was still trembling with excitement, she closed her eyes in an attempt to get some rest.

The only problem was... it didn't really work.

Aside from her leftover energy Michelle was also just so used to the noises of her parents' ship and the feeling of the waves rocking her cabin back and forth that this new silence and firmness felt.... uncanny. Everything _smelled_ different as well. Everything _looked_ different too. Even during her stay in Tottoland she would spend almost every night inside of her cabin, so this was honestly quite a change. 

Up until this point there was always something to distract her or keep her thoughts busy, but now that she was just lying in bed with nothing to think of, all of these new impressions started to sort of overwhelm her.

After she turned around in her bed a few more times in a failed attempt to find the perfect position that would allow her to drift off into dreamland, Michelle came to the conclusion that it was pointless. There was no use in thrashing around the sheets when it obviously didn't lead anywhere.

Realizing that she was currently incapable of falling asleep, Michelle got up again, took her little basket of strawberries, and moved over to sit at the desk. Everything around her was quiet and there wasn't really anything else for her to do right now, so she figured that she might as well take care of something she didn't manage to do in quite some time. 

During her many travels with her family she once met a pretty cool woman at a small island, and back then the two of them hit it off pretty well. Eventually they decided to become penpals and would occasionally write each others letters to stay in contact. Unfortunately though, Michelle had kind of neglected her duties as penpal during these past few weeks, which could mostly be attributed to her sailing around Tottoland and not getting much time to just sit down and write back to her friend. There was so much on her mind these past few weeks, but now that she was completely on her own and basically surrounded by silence, she reckoned it might be a good time to pick up on it again.

While Michelle twirled around a strawberry in her one hand, the other one held onto a pen as she was starting to write her letter.

_Dear Hana..._

~*~

A few hours later, Michelle woke up with her head lying on the desk and the letter she had started writing stuck to her mouth. She must have drooled a bit while being asleep. Singing and laughing could be heard from outside of the window, and judging by how her bedroom was already illuminated by sunlight, she must have slept until the early morning.

So in the end, she didn't even spend the first night in her bed. 

Still feeling a little sleepy, the young woman slowly lifted herself from the chair and immediately groaned as a sharp spike of pain ran through her lower abdomen. _Okay, falling asleep like this is definitely not an option for any upcoming nights,_ she thought to herself and pressed a hand against her hurting hip as if that would help reduce the pain, _I need to get used to the bed if I don't want to wake up with sore muscles every morning!_

Her drowsy gaze wandered over to her crutches for a moment, which were both still leaning against the side of her bed like the evening prior. But Michelle shook her head and instead limped over to the bathroom to get some movement in her muscles.

After she quickly washed her face she decided to throw on her morning robe and head down for some light breakfeast. She barely ate anything yesterday, and now her stomach was growling at an embarrassingly loud volume. Taking a shower would have to wait until after she got something in her system.

Once inside the kitchen Michelle instinctively reached for one of the pastry baskets, pulled out what looked like a plain croissant, and headed over to the couch in her living room. There she picked up the teapot-lovestory-book she started reading yesterday, and hopefully the intricate man-homie lovestory would help her come to life again.

She was in the middle of simultaneously biting into her croissant and flipping a page in the book when the sound of someone knocking at her door suddenly caused her to flinch.

_What the- who would want to visit this early?_ she thought and groaned a bit, _it's barely even morning!_

A thought then crossed her mind. _That's right, Umi- didn't she say she would check in on me today? Yeah, that's right!...But even then, isn't it a bit too early for that?!_

Another knock. With a click of her tongue Michelle stood up and waddled over to the door, still wearing her morning robe and holding the half-eaten croissant in her hand.

However, when she opened the door, it wasn't the young woman from yesterday that greeted her. Instead she came face to face with... wait, a kilt made out of biscuits...? Michelle furrowed her brows in confusion. Maybe she really wasn't fully awake yet and was starting to imagine things.

Suddenly the... biscuit belt infront her started to move- or rather, _the person who wore it bend down to her level-_ and a vaguely familiar grin flashed into her sights.

Michelle almost dropped her croissant when she realized _who it was_ that was standing in front of her right now.

It was the Minister of this island, the man she met a few weeks ago- **Charlotte Cracker!**

Her entire body grew tense as she looked up at his large grin with a doe-like expression, mind busy with trying to make sense of what was happening.

_Am I hallucinating? I have to be- why.... why would the Minister be here?!_

Without knowing what else to do, Michelle quickly looked down at herself and- upon realizing her lack of proper clothing- instantly slammed the door shut. Filled with panic and suprise, she took a step back and tugged at her morning robe to make sure that it was properly covering her body.

_W-What's going on? Did I do something wrong? ...I filled out my papers correctly, didn't I? So why is he-_

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by another knock, followed by the sound of someone loudly clearing his throat on the other side of the door. _Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit- okay, this definitely isn't a hallucination! You gotta do something girl!_ the young woman closed her eyes for a moment and swallowed down her fear before she slowly turned around to open the door a tiiiiny tiny bit so she could peek up at him.

**„I-I'm sorry! Give me just a second, please!"** she quickly blathered out and immediately shut the door once again, not even giving the older man a chance to speak up. This was bad, really bad- no way she could face the guy in charge of this whole island looking the way she did right now!

So without wasting another second Michelle bolted up the stairs and rushed into her room, where she quickly opened one of the closets and blindly pulled out a pair of pants and one of her shorter t-shirts. While she was still wiggling out of her morning robe and into the new clothes, she already made her way out of the room again and waddled over to her next stop- the bathroom. A quick glimpse into the mirror showed that her hair looked as if a bird build a nest in it, dark circles were resting underneath her eyes, and she had crumbs stuck to her mouth and cheek from when she was eating her croissant.

There was no time to take a shower or even properly freshen up, and she really didn't want to make the Minister wait any longer than necessary. So she just quickly grabbed her brush and janked it through her hair a few times while splashing some water into her face to help her skin wake up a bit. And once that was done, she rushed back down the stairs.

By the time Michelle reached the front door of her house again, she was completely out of breath. To her this whole back-and-forth almost came close to a small workout, since she would usually move at a much slower pace to avoid any unnecessary pain. But she didn't really have much of a choice to take it easy this time, given that a Commander of the Big Mom Pirates was waiting for her to greet him. Now her hand was shaking as she reached for the knob, and with a small fake-smile Michelle opened her door for the third time this day.

**"Ahem, good morning Sir! I'm truly sorry for making you wait. P-Please, come in!"** her voice sounded a bit strained due to how out of breathe she was, but she tried to cover it up by pretending to clear her throat.

At first the Minister didn't say anything and simply ducked his head so he could make it inside of her house, and although his grin was still present, he didn't look too amused anymore.

**"I'd strongly advise you against ever doing something like that again, little one,"** Cracker snarled and looked back at the door, obviously referring to when she slammed it shut right infront of his face. Twice. **"Usually you wouldn't get away with it. ....Hah, but I'll let it slide this time because it's your first day here. Just don't let it happen again."**

**„And another piece of advise for the future- don't make your guests wait. Especially important ones."** Judging by the way he was now talking to her, he probably thought of himself as one of the most important ones imagineable. _Which... to be fair, probably wasn't far from the truth though._ And there it was, that slightly threatening undertone. It immediately refreshed Michelle's memory as she thought back to their little 'talk' all those weeks ago, and also made her realize again that she needed to be careful with how she acted around certain people- and _especially_ someone like him. He wasn't your usual type of company, after all. And to be honest... she also didn't imagine they'd meet again, let alone so soon.

Michelle simply stood by and watched as Cracker slowly walked through the room. The way he was looking around her house, almost as if he was examining it, made her a little uneasy. Not to mention that she still had no idea why he was visiting her in the first place.

**"I'm sorry Sir, I-I just really wasn't expecting to see you again..."** _at all,_ she mentally added. They only met for a brief time a few weeks ago, and just like back then, she was completely unprepared for this encounter with the Minister.

But nonetheless, Michelle did her best to compose herself and put a bit more confidence in her voice as she added;

**"Is... is there a reason for your visit...?"**

By now Cracker was just casually strolling around her living room, almost forced to duck while doing so thanks to his enormous height, and continued to inspect the chamber with the usual grin on his face. He didn't even bother turning towards the young woman when he replied;

**"Well, I was simply in the area, so I figured I should take a moment to check on my newest citizen!"** his voice had something playful in it again, which definitely relieved Michelle a little. Maybe she could make this conversation more pleasant by asking him about himself- after all, that really seemed to get him in an exciting mood the last time they talked.

**"Then... uhm, is this something you do for every newcomer?"**

She noticed that Cracker's grin seemed to shrink for a moment, but then it returned to its usual size again as he answered her truthfully.

**"As of now, yes."** he nodded, **"But besides, you were so lost when we first met that I figured I had to visit you and give you a little rundown on what you'll need for your new life anyway... I suppose you could even say I had a hunch you might need it."** his grin slightly widened at that last part, and he stopped infront of one of the (now hardened) chocolate-covered walls to grab a leaf that was still embedded into it from when the tree homie rubbed himself against it yesterday. For a moment Cracker twirled the crusty leaf around in his fingers before finally turning to look at the young woman.

**„You seem rather tense. Is the house not to your liking?"** he tilted his head to the side and then smirked devilishly before he added, **„Mh, Michelle?"**

Her eyes instantly grew to the size of dinner plates as she looked up at Cracker again, the shock obvious on her face.

_How did he-_

**„H-Huh?! Wait, how do you know my name?!"** she never mentioned it to him, did she...? After all they only talked once a few weeks ago and-

Finding her shocked expression quite amusing, Cracker briefly chuckled to himself before he proudly cleared up the mystery.

**„Simple. I had to approve of your papers to confirm that you were moving here, didn't I? Naturally those same papers had a picture and your name written on them."**

**„...Oh."** _Of course._ An uneasy feeling was still creeping up her spine, but his explanation made sense. For some reason it was really strange for her to have someone as powerful as the Minister call her by her first name though... it just- it didn't feel quite right.

**"So, what is it with your house then? Did some homies already pester you so you didn't get to rest?"** Cracker repeated his previous question with a small snicker, causing the young woman's cheeks heated up.

**„N-No, it's not that! ...I just had a hard time falling asleep last night, that's all,"** despite her embarrassment Michelle decided to answer truthfully and quickly covered her mouth as she yawned a little, showing that she still wasn't 100% fully awake, **„I don't know what exactly it is, but I couldn't get comfortable. Haha, maybe the mattress is a little too rough for my taste..."** she tried to joke in hopes that it might cause Cracker to change the topic, but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

**„Your house as well as all the furniture is new, so if that's the reason why you find it hard to sleep, I'd suggest you just give it some time. Now of course the people who took care of the interior design selected furniture of... well, average quality, so to say. And as you're probably aware, mattresses of higher quality might make it easier for you to get some proper sleep. Heh, and of course, mine just so happens to be one of that type,"** he quickly licked over his lips and then smirked menacingly, **„...perhaps you'll get an opportunity to try it for yourself someday."**

...

_...What._

Michelle was convinced that if she had munched on her croissant in this moment, she would have spit it out right away. _Did he just suggest- no, no way. Mh mh. That couldn't be. Impossible._ Her face was as red and hot as a chilli pepper, and she repeatedly opened and closed her mouth like a gasping fish as she was trying to come up with a response. _But, what was she even supposed to say?!!?_

Noticing the look of suprise on her face, Cracker couldn't help but break out in laughter. Seriously, how could anyone be _this easy_ to rile up...?

The young woman was still in shock, but at least managed to cough out a **"W...What?"** as she tried to compose herself again.

**"I said, you should try sleeping on a mattress of higher quality then. There are a few stores on my island that could provide you with one of those,"** Cracker replied and grinned slyly, appearantly proud of himself for tickling such a dramatic response out of the girl.

Michelle could have _sworn_ he meant something else, but she definitely had no desire to further push the matter. To be fair this encounter was starting to make her more and more uncomfortable, and she'd definitely prefer it if the Minister would leave soon.

**"...Anyway, I'm not here to talk about mattresses though. I assume you've heard of the Soul Tribut, little one?"** Cracker asked with a now more neutral expression, and Michelle slowly nodded.

**"Splendid, so I won't have to explain it in great detail,"** the tall man hummed as he walked around the room once more. He came to a sudden stop infront of a picture of the young woman's family, which Michelle had hung up on the wall the day prior, and seemingly examined it for a moment before he continued, **"...as you know, being a citizen of Tottoland means you'll never have to worry about taxes or paying us money to stay. Instead of that, you're obliged to give up a small part of your lifespan to ensure your comfort."**

**"At the end of this month, all new citizen will be required to gather at Biscuits Island's church, so the first tribute can be collected. Don't worry, it won't be much... first-timers only have to pay with a few weeks. Consider it a special bonus for participating in our moving system."** his gaze wandered back to the girl as his proud grin returned to his face once again.

Michelle simply nodded at what he said. Of course she knew about the Soul Tribut, and the possible consequences if she didn't sacrifice part of her lifespan. She had no desire to leave Tottoland yet, so although giving up a part of her soul sounded somewhat frightening, it was a part of her new life now.

**"I'll be there."**

At this point she wasn't really engaging him like she did earlier or during their first encounter a few weeks ago anymore, and Cracker could feel his previous amusement drop. He'd expected her to show some sort of emotion, maybe even gasp in fright or something, but nothing. It was no fun if she didn't react as dramatically and over the top as she did before.

**"...Besides, there is actually another reason why I had to come over..."** he then muttered and stared right past her, and for a moment Michelle could have sworn that he looked... sort of ashamed? **"You truly picked a... peculiar time to move here, little one. To be frank it's quite embarrassing to admit, but... Biscuits Island has a bit of an issue right now, which I am obliged to inform you of,"** the Minister slightly gritted his teeth before continuing, **"around a week ago... unusual things started to happen. Buildings, seemingly disappearing or getting destroyed overnight. I'm convinced it has to be some sort of... ant infestation. It's likely that some people set them free and those nasty pests managed to build a nest somewhere on this island. Those ants have already destroyed a few houses over at another district, so if you see anything suspicious, tell a Chess Soldier."** he then cleared his throat and added;

**"...or me, if we should bump into each other again."**

Michelle blinked a few times as she took in this new information, and once again her expression twisted with suprise as she furrowed her brows. 

Biscuits Island had a _what_ now?! No way! Did she- did she really get so unlucky that she picked the one island with a pest-control-issue as her new home?! _Gah, this is all too much to take in!!! The day has literally just begun and I already wanna go to bed again!_

The obviously conflicted look on her face didn't go unnoticed by Cracker, who continued to grit his teeth, now feeling a sudden need to defend his island. **"But this isn't something we won't get under control soon! Biscuits Island and all of its businesses are still operating normally, so there is no reason for anyone to worry! But as Minister, I'm still obliged to inform my subjects of what's going on."** his unusually sharp tone caused Michelle to flinch a bit, obviously taken aback by how defensive he suddenly acted.

_Did I do something to upset him...? Oh man, this is so not my day..._

Realizing that he might have come across as a bit more aggressive than he had intended, Cracker quickly cleared his throat and walked over to the front door. He said what he needed to, and right now he also had no desire to continue with teasing her.

**"Well, I shall let you take care of your home now... After all, there are still a few other newcomers that demand my attention."**

Michelle blinked a few times and almost wanted to sigh with relief, but quickly stopped herself by shaking her head and then put on a small smile for him.

**"Thank you for visiting, Sir Cracker! I-It was a pleasure having you!"** ...quite obviously that was a lie, but Michelle didn't want to come across as rude. The Minister had the door half-open already when he turned around one more time to look at her, and upon seeing her smile a sly grin appeared on his features.

**"You know, little one, now that you're part of this community... Perhaps you'll be able to... find a way to contribute to Biscuits Island's prosperity soon."**

For a moment her smile dropped as she was confused by what he meant, but then her face slightly scrunched up. Was the Minister trying to tell her to get a job...?

**"...Or I could come up with something for you..."**

The low tone of his voice quickly send a shiver down her spine. Out of instinct Michelle protectively wrapped her arms around her body, suddenly feeling awfully vulnerable-

The way this man was talking to her- or rather, talking _down_ to her- caused her to feel somewhat uneasy. He was a bit too personal for comfort in her opinion, especially considering that they barely knew each other. Yet he immediately visited her just a day after she moved in, and already suggested he could find her a job.

_Come on now Michelle, don't be paranoid,_ she thought to herself and hesitantly lowered her arms again, _it's not like he's trying to force you into doing anything! You choose this island yourself, and whatever you do here is up to you! It's just so early... yeah... you're still tired and just... a bit over-emotional right now._ While she was busy calming her nerves, Cracker didn't plan to wait for her reply, and instead made his way outside.

**"Well then, think about what I've said. And remember to be on the lookout for anything weird!"** the Minister reminded her one last time, before he finally left and closed the door behind himself.

...Michelle was so lost in her thoughts though that it even took her a few seconds to realize that he had left.

But now that she was on her own, the young woman felt... confused. And conflicted. This sudden meeting definitely didn't leave a good impression on her, and she couldn't help but feel like it had something... 'foreboding' to it as well. That, or perhaps it was just so early in the morning that she didn't have a clear grip on her feelings yet. One thing was for sure though, the Minister was _definitely_ an odd person to deal with- but then again, everyone in Tottoland kind of was, right?

With a small shake of her head Michelle walked back to her couch and eyed the croissant she had abruptly put down after the Minister first entered the room. Altough she didn't get to eat much of it, her appetite was completely lost.

Well, this definitely wasn't how she had expected her first morning to go, but hey!

At least it can only get better from here on out, right?

...Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haaaa... it took me long enough x'D I'm sorry for being so inconsistent with new chapters, but now you guys know that there is a reason why one of the tags is 'slow updates' :'D I couldn't bring myself to write on this chapter for a while, and got a bit caught up working on the drafts for other upcoming chapters rather than this one huhu... Also- does anyone else feel like days are just fleeting by at this point...? Because I got a huge issue with time management lately. It feels as if I can't get anything done because OOP! the day is over already and I've just been procrastinating.... AAAAAAA but hey, life on Biscuits Island has at last begun for Michelle! We finally get introduced to some new friends(?) and Cracker seems to have some plans for the young woman as well, but what could he be thinking about...? 
> 
> Also, a little question for you guys: Which object in Michelle's house do you think will come to life first~? I'll give you a hint: it's something that has been mentioned multiple times already!
> 
> Next chapter will focus on Michelle adapting to her new environment a bit, and also shed some light on why Cracker's harassing her xD I can't promise when it'll come out though since I'm currently working on a summer event over at my tumblr blog, but I got a rough draft done already~ Thank you guys for staying patient and if you see any mistakes or have any suggestions, please comment and let me know<3!


	7. Odd Offer

Once Cracker was gone, Michelle immediately dragged herself up the stairs and into the bathroom. She needed a shower. Urgently. This day already started not so well, so she definitely had to clear her head a bit before she could begin anew. Without wasting another thought on her bad night or the weird encounter with the Minister, she slipped out of her clothes and carefully stepped into the shower to let the water wash her worries away.

~*~

It was around lunchtime when Umi finally showed up at her doorstep to take her out for some food and show her around the Shortbread District. Their first stop was at a little bakery with an outdoor cafe attached to it, not too far away from their houses. Since Michelle only ate like half a croissant this morning and as a result didn't feel too powerful, she was definitely rather eager to sit down and _finally_ eat a real meal now.

**"So, how did your first night as official citizen of Biscuits Island go?"** Umi asked as they both sat down at a small table outside of the cafe.

**"Urgh, don't even get me started... I barely got any sleep."** Michelle admitted to the other woman and shook her head as she picked up the menu card to check out the food.

**"And why's that? Did something happen, or did you simply not want to sleep?"**

**"Eh... I guess you could say I was just too excited to really rest. Everything looked and smelled so different, and I just couldn't find any peace..."**

**"Mh,"** Umi chuckled a little and then shook her head, **"I get what you mean. This is a big change after all, so naturally it takes some time for you to adapt to everything."**

A small smile made its way to Michelle's lips, and she quickly nodded in agreement. **"Yeah, exactly!"** Although she still wasn't feeling too great because of what happened during the morning, Umi had this really understanding and open energy that truly made the young woman feel more comfortable around her. In a way it kind of reminded Michelle of her brother and some of the more friendly and playful sailors she used to travel with.

As the two were talking, a waitress then walked up to their table to take their orders.

Umi had already decided to get a cheeseburger with some donut bites as dessert while Michelle was still looking through the menu card, unsure on what she wanted. But then something rather familiar on the menu suddenly caught her attention and caused her eyes to light up a bit.

**"I think... I'll take the Nacho and Cheese plate, please!"**

It was something she always liked to eat, plus, it also seemed to be one of the few non-sugary foods this cafe was serving. 

The waitress simply nodded and started to jot down the order in her notebook, but then she looked back at Michelle with a somewhat hesitant expression now on her face.

**"Of course Ma'am, but... I should let you know, that dish is usually meant for a small family and therefore pretty big. Are you sure you can eat it all?"**

**"What? Uhh y-yeah, I'm sure,"** Michelle blushed a little at the waitresses' comment, but nodded her head once again. Her stomach was pretty damn empty, so she didn't really mind the idea of getting a bigger portion right now.

**"Alright then. The food will be done in a moment!"** the waitress bowed slightly and disappeared back inside the cafe, when Umi turned to look at Michelle with an amused glimmer in her eyes.

**"Huh, a family-sized nacho plate? You must be really hungry, girlfriend."** she teased, but Michelle just rubbed the back of her head.

**"Well, to be fair, I didn't really eat much in... two days? So yeah, I think it'll be fine."**

That statement caused Umi to raise one of her eyebrows, **"Really? But I thought Lady Panea and Gereo left you with a few baskets of food!"**

**"They did! But... uhm...."** Michelle inhaled and thought about her next words for a moment. Should she really tell her new friend about the earlier encounter from today...?

**"I was trying to eat something this morning, when... well- Lord Cracker visited me."**

**"Lord- wait, you mean the Minister... came to visit you?"** Umi asked and raised her eyebrow even higher, seemingly in disbelief at what the younger woman was telling her, **"that's really weird. I mean I've heard of Lord Cracker occasionally checking in on his citizens, but it's not something he normally does. And what's even weirder is that he immediately drops by a day after you moved here- I mean, he doesn't even know you!"**

Her words and worried tone made Michelle feel slightly uneasy. With now visible discomfort she shifted around in her chair, and then admitted;

**"Well... we actually did meet before... briefly. It was back when I was first checking out Biscuits Island that I ran into the Minister. I basically got lost and he helped me back to the harbor..."** she explained and looked over at Umi, who now had a thoughtful look on her face. The older woman quickly nodded her head to signal Michelle to carry on, and so she continued;

**"I honestly didn't think he would remember me... Let alone come by for a visit! He said it was just to check on his newest citizen, but I felt pretty overwhelmed... and he also acted so- argh, I don't know how to explain it- casual?- almost as if we were... friends or something?"** she then looked down with a faint blush on her cheeks and added, **"h-he even made a weird comment about his mattress... that really caught me super offguard as well!"** it was pretty embarrassing to talk about, but Michelle thought that perhaps Umi knew the Minister better than her and could calm her nerves by revealing that those were just normal mannerisms for him. That wouldn't make it any less creepy of course, but at least she could relax a bit knowing that this was just how he usually acted. 

**"Mhh..."** Umi leaned back in her chair and seemed to think about what Michelle told her for a moment, before she waved with her hand in a dismissive manner.

**"Maybe try not to think too much of it. Could be that he said the truth and was really just checking in on you because you're his newest citizen."** she now noticed how uncomfortable the young woman looked, and tried to reassure her a bit.

**"The moving system shook up Tottoland quite a lot, you know? Usually secluded Ministers are now flashing their stuff and do everything to impress newcomers, and rumor has it that Big Mom even rewards those that manage to attract the most citizens to their island! So perhaps Lord Cracker just wanted to make sure that you wouldn't jump ship and change your mind?"** Umi shrugged her shoulders and then grinned at Michelle, who looked a little calmer now and seemed to think about her words. Her expression was still thoughtful, but she slowly nodded her head in agreement.

**"I... I guess that makes sense. Yeah, yeah- that could be it. Maybe he really just wanted to make sure that I was okay... and after all, Lord Cracker did mention that Biscuits Island has a bit of an... 'ant problem' right now, so- could that be a potential reason why people might avoid the island?"**

Although she was a little suprised that Michelle already seemed to know about that, Umi immediately shook her head and rested her elbow on the table.

**"Nahhh. I mean it's true that those things 'supposedly' trashed a few buildings, but so far it hasn't gotten out of control or harmed Biscuits Island's reputation,"** she then clicked her tongue, **"although, rebuilding all those destroyed houses must be a pain... but then again we architects get paid pretty well, so I can't really say that it would affect me negatively if the ants reached our Shortbread District."** her grin returned as she crossed her arms behind her head, **"hey Michelle, if you ever suffer from an 'ant problem' or something, feel free to crash at my place! Been a while since I last had a sleepover, and I think it could be a lot of fun with you, hehe."**

That immediately caused Michelle to smile. She was starting to feel a bit encouraged by Umi's words, and talking with the other woman really made her feel better. She never made any friends back when she was sailing with her family, mostly because she was always on the go and didn't get to spend much time with people around her age, so this could be a great opportunity for her to establish a real relationship for once.

After talking about Biscuits Island and the mysterious ant problem a bit more, the waitress finally returned to bring the two women their food. And as it turns out, she really wasn't lying when she said that the nacho plate was meant for a small family- it was huge. Dozens of chips were sprawled out on the plate, with a heavy layer of gooey cheese poured ontop of them. The dish looked and smelled absolutely delicious.

...However, there was just one thing about it that greatly bothered Michelle.

**"Nacho Time, it's Nacho Tiiiime!"**

**"Take a bite, we're all ripe!"**

**"More cheese? Do we need more cheese? Flood the plate with the golden sauce~!"**

...Almost all of the nacho chips were talking and looking around the table with little, beady eyes.

And while Umi was already biting into her burger and enjoying her meal, Michelle simply stared down at her plate with a small frown. Talking food was not uncommon in Tottoland, but if she could avoid it, she would. In her eyes there was hardly anything more unsettling than biting into something that was not only moving, but basically alive. Noticing Michelle's hesitant posture, Umi slyly grinned at the woman across from her and began to snicker.

**"What now? Don't tell me you've never seen talking nacho chips before, girlfriend!"**

**"O-Of course I have,"** Michelle immediately retorted, **"but... I just don't like eating food that stares at me... or talks to me... or has feelings... you know?"**

Umi slowly put her burger down and smirked teasingly.

**"Well, but if I remember correctly, you said you sailed around Tottoland for a few weeks, yeah? So... you must have eaten something like this at least once!"**

A red hue formed on Michelle's cheeks as she slowly shook her head with embarrassment. 

**"My father and brother- they would usually take care of the talking stuff and let me have the inanimate things."**

It looked as if Umi didn't know whether to laugh or facepalm at that. _How- how could anyone move to Tottoland if they weren't comfortable with what is seen as one of the most normal things here?!_

**"Really now? But you're aware though that you can't avoid talking dishes forever, right?"**

Michelle hesitantly nodded her head at that and looked from Umi back to her plate, where a dozen of small eyes already stared at her expectantly. Appearantly the nachos had been listening to their little exchange and were now just as astounded as Umi.

**"Lady, are you gonna eat us or what?"**

The young woman opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling. Yep. There was no way around it. She had to eat something.

**"Well- I- I mean, I guess I don't really have much of a choice..."** she mumbled and hesitantly reached down to pick up one of the chips. _Come now Michelle, you can do this! Everyone does this! It's completely normal! Just... try to think of it as a normal nacho chip- without eyes, a mouth, or consciousness._

She prayed that the chip would keep its mouth shut and not make this any more awkward than it already was, but unfortunately, the little homie had other plans.

**"Oh yeah, that's it! Goodbye my brothas and sistas, I'm outta here! Weeeee!"** it cheered, which almost caused Michelle to drop it. Her expression turned even more sour than before, making her look as if she had just bitten into a lemon or something.

Umi almost spat out her food when she noticed the awkward look on Michelle's face.

**"I swear, watching you adapt to everything on here is going to be absolutely hilarious!"** she snickered and shook her head.

**"Well, I'm glad someone finds it amusing..."** Michelle pouted and put the chip back down, which caused it to 'awwww' with disappointment. But the young woman didn't care and instead crossed her arms infront of her chest, trying to think of a different way to eat her food. _Maybe I could scrap off their mouths with a spoon or something...?_

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shriek.

**"OOOOHHH MY! Michelle, Sweetie Pie, is that you???"**

Startled by the sound of someone calling out her name, Michelle quickly turned around in her chair to see the person that just adressed her- and her chin almost dropped to the floor when she recognized who it was.

**"L-LADY PANEA?! What are you doing here?!"**

_It was the elderly woman who visited her yesterday!_

Miss Panea was smiling and in the middle of rushing over to their table, while carrying a small tray with food in her arms.

**"No no darling, what are you doing here? ...Ohh Umi, how nice of you to show Michelle to our bakery!"** the older woman replied and looked over at the architect, making her grin.

**"Sure thing! I figured our new neighbour might like to see another familiar face today,"** she chuckled and quickly winked at Michelle, who was now realizing that this must be the bakery/cafe the elderly couple told her about yesterday.

**"Of course! It's good to see you again, Miss Panea!"** a small smile appeared on her lips as the retired bakery owner held onto the lean of her chair and happily pat Michelle's shoulder.

**"Oh no no no, the pleasure is all mine! I'm happy to see that you're doing okay- and actually, I was planning to pay you a small visit today! ...But I guess that won't be necessary after all,"** she laughed and then pointed at the tray in her hands, **"well I really wish I could stick around to chat for a bit, but unfortunately I promised my daughter that I would help her in the bakery today! But don't worry Michelle my dear, I'll make sure to drop by and check in on you tomorrow, yes?"**

Michelle's smile slightly twitched at that, not sure on what she should expect. _Huh, looks like my schedule for the next few days is already getting filled... But that's good! Hopefully I'll be able to make some friends this way-_

**"Sure! I'd be happy to have you over again, Ma'am!"**

Panea's smile widened as she pat Michelle's shoulder for a few more moments, before she departed from the two with a happy wave. Once she was out of sight, Umi immediately turned to Michelle with an amused sparkle in her eyes.

**"You have to excuse her, Miss Panea is rather overbearing when it comes to new people in the neighbourhood. Hehe and judging by how she's treating you, I think she already sees you as some sort of lost puppy she needs to take care of."** the teasing undertone in her voice strongly suggested that Umi found the older lady's behaviour quite hilarious, and Michelle already guessed that the main reason why she brought her here in the first place was so Panea would spot them and dot on her again, kind of like she did yesterday with her overdramatic hug.

**"Mh, maybe. But personally, I think she's just being nice and helpful so far. Like a sweet older grandma, you know?"** Michelle replied with a smile, which Umi mirrored. 

**"Hehe... sure."**

...And with that being said, they continued their lunch.

After poking around in her dish some more, Michelle decided to give up on trying to eat her living nacho plate and simply used a spoon to scrap off the cheese so she'd get at least something into her system. She definitely didn't want to pass out from being too weak or something, but the chips were all so talkative and loud that she simply couldn't bring herself to pick one up again. Umi still teased her for being unwilling to eat the talking food, but at this point Michelle couldn't care less about her playful comments. She would get used to it eventually, that much was certain. However, once Umi realized how hungry the other woman was, she actually took some pity on Michelle and offered to switch foods. _Only this once,_ she noted and once again reminded the new citizen that she had to get over her 'fussy habits' soon if she really wanted to survive in Tottoland.

Once the two finished their meals, Umi lead Michelle a bit deeper into the town and as promised, showed her the shops where she could get her groceries and other things for her home. Luckily every store was located rather close to the main road, so as long she didn't stray away from it, she should have no problems with finding her way back here. It was quite a relief for Michelle and also made her feel as if she was at last getting a hang of her new surroundings. To make things even better, Umi also showed her to a small shopping district that was dedicated only to clothing, meaning that she could get the full Tottoland-esque attire she was yearning for in one fellow sweep as well! Soon enough a hopeful feeling spread through Michelle as she and Umi strolled through the streets and entered the shops that looked interesting to them, and it didn't take long until the young woman really started to open up to her new neighbour and the two girls began to goof around with one another. This could very well be the beginning of a great friendship, or at least that's what Michelle liked to believe. So despite the rocky start, this day truly took a delightful turn!

~*~

Michelle returned home pretty late that evening, and with two heavy shopping bags in her arms. A content smile was still on her face due to how much fun she ended up having with Umi, and although her hip was once again hollering in pain, she managed to push that aside for most of the day and just concentrated on the good stuff. Right now though Michelle was also feeling a bit tired and longed to lay down on her bed, which would undoubtly help with making the pain disappear as well. Plus, given how her first night wasn't the most pleasant one, she was actually really looking forward to sleeping in her bed tonight.

While humming a happy song she heard some flower homies in town sing, Michelle closed the door behind her and was already on her way upstairs, when the sound of something clinkering in the kitchen caused her to stop right in her tracks.

...What was that?

The young woman furrowed her brows and remained completely still. _Am I so tired that I'm imagining things now...?_

But just a few moments later the same sound echoed throughout the house again. It kind of sounded as if... something was falling...? Michelle gulped hard and slowly put down her shopping bags before making her way through the living room.

_Did someone break in? Did I not lock the door properly?!_

Her pulse quickened when she heard it again, only louder this time. One of her hands instantly balled into a fist as she carefully opened the door leading to the kitchen and peeked inside.

But much to her suprise (as well as relief), there was no one there. Well, at least not at first glance. Without letting her guard down, Michelle fully opened the door and jumped into the room, ready to confront a possibly hidden intruder, but none of that happened. The kitchen was completely empty.

_Where did that sound come from then...?_

More confused than scared now, the young woman scanned through the room with her aquamarine eyes. Everything seemed to be in place and looked the exact same as she left it, everything except-

**"Hello...?"**

A feminine-sounding voice suddenly caused Michelle to spin around, both of her hands formed into fists and ready to punch whoever might be trying to sneak up on her. But once again there was no one there. _How is this possi- wait. What if it's ghosts...? Could it really be ghosts?! ...No, that doesn't make any sense! Argh, get a grip girl!_

Not knowing what else to do, Michelle choose to simply reply to whoever or whatever was calling out to her.

**"Uhm, hello...?"** her voice was shaking a bit, anticipating a reply. And she didn't need to wait long.

**"Hey."**

A shudder immediately went through her body as the mysterious voice called out again. But only this time, Michelle could actually pinpoint where the voice was coming from. It was from her feet. Nervous and still a bit spooked, the young woman slowly looked down and-

found her new teapot blinking up at her with big black eyes, seemingly just as confused as she was right now.

**"Are you my owner?"**

A bit bewildered, Michelle simply blinked back at the object, slowly realizing what was going on. It's... it's a homie, not a ghost! Her teapot must have turned into a teapot homie while she was out with Umi!

**"Your owner- uhm, I.... I guess I am."** relieved that it wasn't a home invasion or ghost after all, she smiled a little and bend down to pick the little thing up. The teapot must have tried to climb down from the counter, which caused the clinkering sounds she heard earlier! A huge wave of anxiety immediately rolled off of Michelle.

And the little pot's face lit up as well as she looked at her owner.

**"Oh, I knew it! I'm Potty, what's your name?"**

**"It's Michelle!"** the young woman replied now more cheerfully and carefully turned the kitchen utensil in her hands to make sure that there were no cracks or something from when the pot was climbing around the kitchen. Luckily though, everything seemed to be fine.

**"Well Michelle, it's nice to meet you! What are you doing?"** Potty sang.

**"Mh, I just got home actually and was about to head upstairs and rest a bit. You see Potty, I've got a pretty long day behind me!"** Michelle replied and brought the little teapot back to the counter.

**"Really?! Sounds exciting~! Then... go rest, I guess? I promise I'll keep a gooood eye on the kitchen! Yes, that's what I was doing~! And if you need some tea, you know where I'll be!"** the teapot proudly declared and hopped out of Michelle's hands and back to where she was standing before she came to life.

The young woman smiled at that and nodded before a small yawn escaped from her. **"Thank you, Potty! Maybe I could use your help to brew myself some tea later or tomorrow!"** she nodded and gave the little teapot a small wave before turning around to leave.

What an unexpected suprise! So the first item to come to life was her teapot. Well, it'd be a lie to say that Michelle wasn't a bit relieved at that- after all, anything would have been better than the toilet! Her smile was still on her lips as she re-entered the living room and picked up her bags, ready to head upstairs. Today was the first day in a long time that she just felt incredibly happy and didn't need to worry about nothing. 

It looks as if her life as well as house were finally getting more vibrant!

~*~

The next week went by in a hurry. Day by day more and more inanimate objects in her house started to come to life, and Michelle was slowly starting to grow pretty used to her new surroundings. Thanks to Umi she managed to explore a majority of Cookie Town and even went back to the harbor once, which genuinely helped her with getting a feel for where the most important places were and how she could get there. However Umi wasn't the only one that helped her around- Miss Panea also came to visit during most days to check in on her, and although Michelle now knew where she could find all of the grocery-stores, the elderly lady would still continue to bring over lots of 'emergency' food for her as well.

...It was probably some sort of 'grandma-instinct'.

One thing was for sure though, in Michelle's eyes Miss Panea quickly started to take on some sort of motherly role. It was no secret that the older lady already loved to dot on her, and on some occasions she would even compare her to her own daughter. But Michelle didn't really mind it- as long as the elderly woman wasn't invading her privacy or treating her like a helpless kitten, she was okay with everything. Yeah, she was fine with it.

...That was until one fateful day, during the second week of Michelle's life on Biscuits Island, when Lady Panea showed up at her doorstep with a Chess Soldier behind her.

She offered no real explanation as to what was going on, and only insisted that Michelle should "trust her" and follow after them. Seeing how Panea showed her nothing but kindness up until that point, the young woman didn't object- although the situation did feel sort of... weird.

Both Panea as well as the soldier then lead her into a different part of the city, one Michelle hasn't explored before. It was pretty far away from her home, and she was starting to grow more and more suspicious and questioned what the older lady wanted and where she was leading her, but Panea continued to insist on keeping it a secret. Ultimately they stopped infront of a gigantic mansion, proudly standing on a small hill, away from the main street. The outside walls were covered in a luxurious dark-brown paint and four huge biscuit pillars supported the huge entrance of the building. No other house was close by, and the place almost seemed to... 'overlook' most of the town.

**"Miss Panea... would you care to finally fill me in on what's going on...?"**

Confused, Michelle tore her gaze from the huge mansion infront of her and looked at the older woman- who, for the very first time, seemed a little nervous to speak up.

**"O-Oh, I don't know if I'd be allowed to tell you everything yet, my dear- Just know that it took me quite a bit of convincing, but I think I struck a really good deal for you!"**

Michelle immediately raised a brow at the word 'deal'.

**"Deal? What sort of 'deal'? And what does it have to do with this building...?"**

Maybe Panea realized that it was too late to withhold the truth from Michelle, so after hesitating for another moment, the older woman quickly cleared her throat and started to explain herself.

**"Well, sweetie, do you remember when you told me about how you wanted to find a job?"** Panea gingerly clapped her hands together, the smile on her lips only getting more nervous.

Although she had no real idea where this was going, Michelle nodded and answered truthfully.

**"Yeah, Umi was hoping to hook me up with a shop ac-"**

**"Oh no no, forget about that!"** Panea immediately interrupted and dismissingly waved with her hand, **"You see, I thought about it as well and figured out something you would like a lot more! Ahem, so around four days ago I contacted the Minister, Lord Cracker, and talked to him about helping you with a job! Because I know that you might have troubles finding something on your own with your, you know, 'condition'."** her smile had something almost apologetic to it as she pointed at Michelle's hip. Undeterred by the young woman's now shocked expression, Panea continued;

**"I've been visiting Lord Cracker everyday until now and already talked out aaaall the details! I'm sorry that I've ruined the suprise now, but isn't this exciting?!"**

Michelle opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't get out a single word.

A giant lump suddenly appeared in her throat. Was this... _\- Did Miss Panea and the Minister really start making plans for her behind her back?! Without ever informing her?_ That alone was already a lot to take in, but now she was possibly about to be confronted with a job offer she never even considered.... Plus, if what Panea said was true, then that means the house they were standing infront of was-

**"Sir Cracker is waiting. We should hurry."** the Chess Soldier butted in and quickly walked over to open the door for the two women.

Yep. It was _his_ mansion.

At this point Michelle was seriously contemplating to run away (well, _walk_ given that she couldn't really run) even if she wouldn't make it far. Their first meeting might have been somewhat pleasant, but that didn't mean that she was just okay with hanging around in the Minister's house now! And, even worse, be offered a job position she was never even told about!

Panea was already prepared to follow after the soldier when she turned around and noticed the hesitant look on Michelle's face. In an attempt to console the young woman, she walked over to her and gently put an arm around Michelle's shoulder.

**"I know this might be a bit much to handle at once, but I only had the best in mind for you! ...Come now dear, the Minister will probably do a better job at explaining everything. I promise, once you hear our full idea, you'll looove it!"**

For a moment Michelle turned her head to look at Panea, her expression completely blank. She felt angry, disappointed, and most of all, a bit betrayed, but it was probably useless to argue now. _The least I can do is listen to what the Minister has to say. I'm sure refusing to meet him will only end badly... and even if I don't wanna be here right now, I definitely wouldn't want to make him mad or something,_ that thought send a chill down her spine, _but what Miss Panea did... I have to talk to her about it later. This is not how things work, and I don't want her to feel as if she needs to take control over my life or constantly pity me for who I am!_

With a weak nod the young woman signaled her 'deal maker' to walk up ahead, so she could follow behind her.

The outside of the building seemed pretty lavishing already, but it faded in comparison to how luxurious the inside looked. _Figures, given who the owner was._ Most of the furniture reminded Michelle of typical stuff you would usually find all around Tottoland, only with the mandatory color here being a royal purple which gave everything a more rich appearance. The hallway they were walking through seemed endless and was decorated with a long, dark purple carpet on the floor, and countless doors leading to different rooms on both sides.

Suddenly, some loud screaming could be heard from one of the rooms they just passed by, but Michelle didn't get a chance to stop and listen. The Chess Soldier immediately continued to urge her forward, probably not wanting her to hear something that wasn't meant for her ears. Still, the yelling was so loud that she managed to make out a few words from the conversation- appearantly, a man inside of the room was upset over something 'new' and a 'kitchen-something', and a quiet woman-voice was trying to calm him down. _Mh... well, whatever._ It was none of Michelle's business, so she moved on.

The three continued to walk for a few more moments until a giant, dark-golden door appeared at the end of the hallway. People were mumbling on the other side, but once the Chess Soldier knocked on the door, the noises immediately stopped and the room went silent. 

...until one voice loudly spoke up.

**"Come in."**

Michelle swallowed hard, realizing that the man in charge of this island was waiting on the other side of the room. Waiting for her. _Try to look at the good side, girl- at least you're not in your morning robe this time._

The Chess Soldier wasted no time in opening the door for the two women, and revealed exactly what Michelle had expected- Charlotte Cracker was grinning his usually large grin while sitting in a big, luxurious chair; and infront of him stood a desk with dozens of papers piled up on top of it. _This must be his office,_ Michelle figured and walked into the room after Panea, her steps still a bit slow and hesitant.

**„Well well well, look who we have here!"** Cracker loudly exclaimed and spread his arms in what was probably supposed to be an inviting gesture, but as usual Michelle felt nothing but intimidated by it.

Panea however nodded politely and performed a little curtsy as greeting, which she then signalled Michelle to repeat. The young woman did so hesitantly, and although she was trying not to directly look at him, Michelle could still feel the Minister's burning gaze on her form. Another shiver ran down her spine. She already wanted nothing more than to just get this over with...

Cracker spoke up again, his voice as confident and proud as always.

**"Welcome to my home. It's good to see you again, little one! Hehe, you know, I've been thinking about you lately."**

...Alright, Michelle didn't expect that.

Her previous modesty was gone for a second as she looked up at the tall man and blinked, a bit suprised.

**„O-Oh! Uhm, really? I'm... flattered?"**

He simply chuckled in response, almost as if to silently say 'you should be', and his tone became more mocking as he continued;

**"Initially I thought you wouldn't last a day on my island without getting completely lost somewhere, so I'm delighted to see that that's not the case."**

_Ah, and there it was._

Michelle pursed her lips, now visibly offended. She only got lost once, and that was before she even moved here. And didn't Cracker already mock her like this before, back when he visited her a few days ago? ...Seriously, she _literally just entered his office_ and he was already trying to rile her up again.

If it wasn't for the fact that her nerves were already a little strained from what happened with Panea infront of the mansion, she probably would have ignored his remark as usual, but this time she actually felt compelled to stand up for herself.

**"No worries, I managed just fine on my own. It was a bit difficult at first, but luckily my neighbours were nice enough to help me out before I could get 'lost' anywhere."** her tone was a bit sharper than she had intended, and right away Michelle wanted to bite her tongue after the words left her mouth. But whatever, she already got the 'you-can't-take-care-of-yourself' treatment from Panea today, so she definitely didn't need another person to make fun of her for it.

Cracker just stared at her for a moment, then he clicked his tongue as if to scold her for her cocky tone.

**"That's all good and well, but perhaps I should have checked in on you some more. My instincts told me you might have probably needed it."**

The Minister leaned back in his chair and kept his eyes focussed on the young woman infront of him, eager for her response.

He was still trying agitate her. And it was working.

Michelle raised an eyebrow, and without thinking much, she replied:

**"Really...? An instinct? You mean... like a father instinct, then? It does look as if you worry about me quite a lot, Sir."** she did her best to sound less snarky than before, but the way the Minister was talking to her really tested Michelle's patience right now. _Why is he so keen on making it look as if I can't take care of myself...?_

She turned her attention back to Cracker again and gulped.

His grin started to falter and was completely gone in a matter of seconds.

**"Father... instinct?"** now it was his turn to look slightly offended. Cracker was obviously a bit confused by Michelle's sudden defiance- which, until now, wasn't something he was used to from the young woman- and part of him was genuinely intrigued to see what might happen if he continued to push her. _Heh, it's hard to imagine what a usually shy and withdrawn little thing like her might act like when angry..._ the Minister thought to himself and eyed Michelle. However, by the looks of it his new citizen was very much on edge already, which undoubtly had something to do with the 'secret plan' he and the elderly Panea hatched for her. So although Cracker would have enjoyed playing with her some more, it was probably for the best to just get down to business.

**"Well, anyway, let's cut to the chase, shall we?"** he loudly declared and waved Miss Panea, who was silently watching their banter from the back of the room until now, over to his desk.

**„Like I mentioned before, as citizen of Biscuits Island, it's important for you to include yourself in the island's- mh, no, your home's prosperity, little one,"** he stated, and the usual grin returned to his face yet again, **„Lady Panea was quick to recognize that as well and came to me with the idea that I should give you a proper job. At first I was going to dismiss her, but then I remembered that I just recently had an opening I've been struggling to fill."**

The Minister then pointed at Michelle.

**"An opening... I think you would fit perfectly."**

The young woman slightly tilted her head to the side, a bit surprised at this bold declaration from the Minister. How could he have a job that's 'perfect' for her if he never even talked to her about it...?

For a moment she looked over at Panea for some guidance, but the older woman simply nodded eagerly at everything Cracker said, and a proud smile even flashed across her face at the mention of her name. _Welp, she's not gonna be of any help._

And although Michelle walked into the mansion without any real interest in the job offer, it'd be a lie to say that she wasn't... a little curious now. Both Cracker as well as Panea barely knew her or what she was capable of, so how could they be so sure that they found her a suitable job position...? _Maybe the Minister read up on some of my family's files... or Miss Panea secretly stalked me and took notes on my life and all. Now that I think about it, that's probably the most plausible explanation..._ while Michelle was trying to sort out her thoughts, a small chuckle left the Minister again as he leaned back in his chair and pressed his hands together.

**„Hm, I bet you're already dying to know what this job offer entails, so allow me to clear everything up for you, little one,"** he grinned slyly as his words snapped her out of her thoughts, and Cracker then proceeded to gleefully rub his chin with one of his hands while continuing, **„it's quite simple, really. What I offer you is a position as my kitchen maid. All you have to do is come to my mansion once a day, follow my chef's orders, and bring food to me. Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?"**

It certainly did, but unfortunately, Michelle now looked even more confused than before. A kitchen maid...? Huh. Obviously she entered his office without knowing what to expect, but given that she once told Cracker- as well as Panea- that she came from a family of merchants... she thought that the Minister might offer her something in that direction. _What even gave him the impression that I'm cut out for a position like-_

**"See dear?! I told you you'd love it! I came up with this all on my own since I knew that Sir Cracker had some issues with finding a new maid! Oh, working for the Minister himself- isn't this a generous offer?"** Panea suddenly piped up and interrupted Michelle's thoughts, and the older woman's enthusiasm quickly caused Cracker's grin to widen.

**„It's a very generous offer indeed! Not only would the pay be good, but you'd also get to see some of the most interesting parts of the island whenever you come over to my mansion!"** he chuckled and tapped his fingers against the desk, eagerly waiting for the young woman's response. With all of the confidence that was radiating off of him, it was quite obvious that Cracker was already convinced she would agree.

However, Michelle was very uncertain. First of all, she wasn't really a good cook. In fact, she usually stayed out of the kitchen to avoid any potential disasters and only knew a handful of recipes. And secondly, _more importantly-_ the thought of her cooking for none other than the most important person on this island, _who was probably a chef himself,_ terrified her. No way she could ever live up to whatever culinary standards the child of a food-crazy Yonko might be used to! Her throat turned dry as she desperately tried to find the right words, already a bit scared to voice her genuine thoughts on this job offer.

**"I-I'm very flattered, my Lord, but... but I'm afraid I don't have any real experience in the kitchen,"** she admitted and flinched a bit when Cracker's previously relaxed gaze suddenly sharpened, **"I only used to occasionally cook for my family and myself, so there is no way I could even dream of serving food to someone as important as you, Sir. I'm sorry, but I'm completely unqualified for a position like that!"**

Once Michelle was finished, the room grew silent. What she said was nothing but the truth, but she was lowkey afraid to reject the Minister's offer. Especially now that the way he was looking at her almost caused her to shudder. 

**"Mh. I think you misunderstood,"** Cracker replied with a sigh and shook his head, **"my personal Chef Giuseppe is the one who cooks for me, not you. You are merely an assistant who does as they're told- that means washing the dishes, cutting up some vegetables, getting stuff from the pantry- just the simple things. No more, no less."** his grin was still on, but it seemed as if he was getting a bit impatient now. **"I'm aware that you're... physically not in top shape, little one. Miss Panea found it quite important to bring that up over and over again as well, so a simple job like this sounds quite appropriate, no? Heh, believe me when I tell you that even an elderly woman like her could do it."**

Michelle bit her lip, now more uncertain than ever.

**"...Unless, of course, this is already asking too much of you."** Cracker added and propped an elbow up on his desk, rested his face against his hand, and a playful glimmer flashed up in his eyes.

He was challenging her. Obviously. The young woman closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breathe. _I don't have anything to prove him, I don't have anything to prove to anybody,_ she thought to herself, _anyone but me._

Michelle exhaled and opened her eyes again, now feeling a bit more sure of herself.

**"I mean- well, I think I could probably do that."**

**"See? I knew you'd say that,"** Cracker replied and smirked triumphantly, **"You know, if you accept the job now, I think you could already start tomorrow. Heh, I'll even tell a soldier to pick you up. We wouldn't want you to get lost again like on your first day here, huh?"** he chuckled devilishly and lifted his head to lock eyes with her,

**"Well then... do you agree? Are you willing to work for me, Michelle?"**

The young woman stared right back at him for a moment while shifting from one leg to the other. Being called by her real name instead of 'little one' was still unusual to her and caused a light pink hue to appear on her cheeks.

Michelle's gaze then wandered from Cracker, who was still widely grinning at her, over to Panea, who also smiled encourangingly and gave her a thumbs-up.

Of course she was still conflicted that Miss Panea and the Minister went behind her back with this, but the offer honestly sounded too good to be true. A job right under Lord Cracker, with a good pay, and she appearantly wouldn't have to physically exhaust herself too much either... which was actually something she would have been fine with as long as she just found a proper job. _I doubt that I'll get an opportunity like this again. Guess I better take my chances..._

She straightened her back a little.

_The main reason why I had so many issues with finding a home and workplace until Tottoland was that people didn't want to employ someone who couldn't give 100%. So the fact that Lord Cracker is aware of my limitations and still wants me to work for him almost sounds like a godsend offer..._ she thought and looked over at the Minister, who was now tapping his fingers against his desk in impatience.

**"A-Alright, Sir. I'd be honored to work for you."** Michelle announced timidly.

And as expected, that answer greatly pleased Cracker and caused his grin to instantly widen.

**"Splendid! Heh, you know what's good for you, don't you, little one?"** with an almost arrogant look on his face he leaned back in his chair and then pointed at the Chess Soldier. 

**"Tommorrow, make sure to pick her up first thing in the morning. I don't want my new kitchen maid to be late on her first day at work."** the Minister ordered before turning to Michelle again.

**"As for you, little one- once you've returned to my mansion, my chef will tell you everything you need to know. The payment, your working hours, what duties you'll have to fulfill... all that stuff. Oh, and don't worry- since it'll be your first day working for me, I'll make sure to take it easy on you."** he cooed and winked at the young woman. Michelle smiled a little at that.

**"Thank you, Lord Cracker! I-I hope I won't disappoint you."**

Although a part of her regretted how easily she allowed herself to be convinced, Michelle couldn't deny that the Minister's offer was very generous and considerably kind. _And maybe, if I get to spend a bit more time around Lord Cracker... I also won't feel as intimidated by him anymore!_ she thought, her smile growing a bit.

Meanwhile Panea was excitedly clapping her hands together and gave Michelle a look that basically said 'I told you this was a good idea'. The older woman was vivid that her little plan worked out exactly as she had planned, and hopefully this proved to her young neighbour that she could always count on her!

Now that they all reached an agreement that pleased everyone, Cracker turned his attention back to the papers piled up on his desk, and with a simple wave of his hand he dismissed the women and soldier. Panea immediately performed another curtsy as goodbye, and Michelle quickly followed her example before leaving the Minister to his duties again.

The young woman felt both excited as well as scared, and looked forward to seeing what tomorrow had in store for her.

Was she still mad at Panea? A little. Obviously they still needed to have a talk about how the elderly lady was trying to baby her, but that wasn't too important right now.

One thing was for sure though, Michelle definitely needed to call Umi and read up on some cookbooks once she got home!

~*~

Just as the three left Cracker's office, another door opened and two entirely new people entered the room.

**"Remind me again why we had to leave for this, Cracker?"** one of them, a youthful-looking lady with dark purple hair, spoke up.

**"Mh, I take it she's the one then? The girl you got your eyes on? ...She doesn't look like much to me."** the other woman snickered while simultaneously running a hand through her light purple hair.

**"Pah! Neither one of you has any place meddling with my personal affairs. Why should I let you stay in my office when I'm discussing important matters with my citizens?"** Cracker retorted, his tone a little annoyed.

**"Come now big brother! You know we're just curious to see what kind of woman piqued your interest lately, hehe."**

**"I bet she has no clue what's coming for her! Wanna bet that she'll run off after a day?! Hoho, if she can run, that is!"**

The tall man clicked his tongue as if he was dismissing his sisters, but a sly grin still spread across his lips.

After all, they were speaking the truth.

Cracker was no stranger to inviting women into his house (or rather, his bedchambers) and often gave them an occupation close by. After all, that was his way of keeping himself entertained. He never really had a serious relationship before, or at least not for long, since the possibility of Big Mom marrying him off was always looming in the back of his mind. And as of late, he had also grown a bit restless. The Minister was in his mid-forties already and sought out thrills more than ever, especially now that it didn't look as if his mother had any plans of marrying him off anymore. Probably because he was a bit too old to be chosen as 'eligible bachelor' for a young bride at this point.

It's been a while since he last kept a woman around to entertain him, but Michelle was quick to catch his eye. The way she would always reward him with a reaction and blushed almost everytime he teased her made him curious to see how far she might be willing to go. She had caught his interest no doubt, and once he had his eyes set on something, he wouldn't let go of it until he got what he wanted.

**"Come now Angel, don't be like that! Maybe she even manages to hold out longer than the other girls..."** the woman with the darker hair laughed and walked over to sit at the edge of Cracker's desk.

**"Mhhh you could be right on that, Custard! Young ones always got lots of energy and enthusiasm after all! Heh, anyway, I can't wait to see how this one turns out!"** the one named Angel grinned and crossed her arms infront of her chest.

Cracker however kept his attention focussed on the papers infront of him, deliberately choosing not to take part in his sisters' nonsense. The only noise that left him was a deep chuckle as he thought back to the first time he met Michelle, and the two women quickly joined him.

Soon enough, the three Charlottes' dark chuckling was the only sound that could be heard in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUH DUH DUNNN. What a reveal, although I bet everyone saw it coming from a mile away xD Yes, that's right, Cracker is kind of a... ladykiller. (for now.) And clumsy little Michelle managed to catch his interest :'D
> 
> In my opinion Big Mom forbids her children from pursuing any serious relationships in case she might want to marry them off- so Cracker is one of those siblings who doesn't even have a concept of real love and 'vents' his sexual frustration by playing with women that pique his interest/he deems worthy of his company. So for now his motivations to keep Michelle around are shallow and selfish, but, maybe she'll be able to change that...? Maybe she'll slip on a banana peel and slide right into Cracker's cold and hardened heart...? Let's not forget that Cracker may be a weirdo, but she's not so normal either xD
> 
> Next chapter will be more on the silly side and focusses on Michelle's first day at work! What sort of shenanigans could await her there?! Will she survive? Will she accidentally poison Cracker?! No spoilers, but it'll be quite entertaining... I hope xD As always, thanks for reading and leaving kudos! Feedback is always appreciated, and have a nice summer<3


	8. Let's get to work!

The rest of the day went by quick. After getting back home, Michelle made sure to call Umi and informed her of what happened today. The other woman was just as suprised when Michelle told her about the meeting with the Minister, but agreed that it was probably one of the best opportunities she could have asked for. It probably shouldn't come as a surprise that working directly under the Charlotte Family, and especially those who hold a Minister position, was more lucrative than picking up a 'normal' job around Tottoland. The two girls continued to talk about Cracker and this new turn of events for a bit, before they agreed to meet soon again and hung up. From there on out Michelle spend the rest of her evening looking for cooking books in the mini-library and reading through some of the most typical recipes of Tottoland to somewhat prepare herself. After that she went straight to bed to properly rest up for the next day.

~*~

And just as promised, the very same Chess Soldier that accompanied her and Panea to Cracker's mansion the previous day was also the one to pick her up at her home once the sun had risen. By then Michelle was already showered and had some light breakfeast, and while she waited for the soldier to arrive she kept herself busy by talking to her living furniture for a bit. Every one of her animate possessions was excited for her, and their cheers and encouragement genuinely hyped Michelle up. So once it was time to leave her home again, she felt energized and ready to start her new job.

The walk through Cookie Town was spend mostly in silence, with the young woman trying to keep herself calm and collected. She was pretty excited, yes, but also felt a little worried as they were getting closer to Cracker's mansion. What if she messed up and ruined the food? Or what if she accidentally broke something in the kitchen? Oh lord, hopefully none of that was gonna happen... But despite those worrisome thoughts, the young woman still did her best to stay hopeful.

Once they arrived at the Minister's mansion, the soldier led her through the very same corridor they walked through yesterday, only this time they didn't go to the end of it but entered one of the rooms they passed by last time. And of course, that room turned out to be Cracker's kitchen.

It was by far the biggest and most luxurious kitchen Michelle had ever seen. Everything looked super polished and almost brand-new, without even a single speck of dust in sight. Dozens of different cooking utensils decorated the walls or were laid out on counters; and crates filled with fresh vegetables and meat were neatly stacked up in a small chamber connected to the kitchen, which presumably served as pantry. Right of the bat Michelle spotted at least three different ovens and stoves around the kitchen, and even with them and all the cooking counters taking up a lot of space, there was technically still enough room for a large group of people to scurry around the kitchen. 

In conclusion: the Minister's kitchen was bigger than Michelle's living- and bedroom combined.

But was that really a surprise? Given how much the Charlotte Family cares about food, it's probably only logical for their kitchens to be gigantic and well-equipped as well.

After entering the room, Michelle and the Chess Soldier were greeted by Cracker's own personal cook- aka, her new boss- who was a washed-up-looking and considerably small squirrel mink in his mid-forties. He briefly introduced himself as Giuseppe, the "Star Chef of Biscuits Island". A complicatedly twirled mustache decorated his upper lip, and his small hazelnut-colored eyes were hidden behind a thick pair of round glasses. Similiar to the Commander, he also had small wrinkles around both his eyes. And going by first looks, Giuseppe was anything but a happy person. His lips were pursed into a small frown and he kept his arms crossed infront of his chest, almost as if he was angry at something. When he spoke up to talk, Michelle thought that his voice sounded vaguely familiar, and she quickly came to the realization that he was the guy she heard yelling from another room yesterday.

But although he looked like a somewhat difficult guy to deal with at first glance, she was still enthusiastic and excited to have him teach her the ropes around the kitchen.

**"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir! I'm Michelle, Lord Cracker hired me to be the new kitchen maid-"** trying to make a good first impression, the young woman held out her hand to greet her new boss, but was surprised to find the mink scoffing at her.

**„God damn that Cracker... I keep telling him that he needs to stop preying on these young fillies!"** Giuseppe growled, **„he knows that all they do is mess up mah kitchen and nothing else!"**

The Chess Soldier that stood by her side up until then immediately excused himself and walked right out of the kitchen again, thus leaving the now dumbfounded girl alone with her new boss.

**„Excuse me... What?"** visibly confused, she blinked at the smaller man.

**"Pah, don't act all oblivious with me!"** the mink huffed again, **"Y'said your name was Michelle? Then I guess you're the one that just moved here, right? The newest model?"**

**"Newest... model?"** Michelle perked up an eyebrow at that. Although she barely knew the man, she already felt turned off by him. This guy was talking to her in a way that simply rubbed her all sorts of wrong, and if it wasn't for the fact that he was supposed to be her new boss, she probably would have asked him to be a bit more respectful already.

The mink chef seemed to think for a moment and then sighed dramatically, shaking his head.

**„C'mon girlie, you know exactly what you're here for! It ain't much of a secret that Masta Cracker likes to keep the company of them young gals. Often brings back little ladies like you to work as maids, caretakers, and worst of all, cooking assistants,"** he started tapping his foot against the floor, **„all a buncha good for nothings! Don't respond well to orders, keep on messing up the easiest tasks... They're the type of gals that will just gawk at him all day and be impressed by whatever he does, so Imma guess he just likes that kind of attention from you."** watching the young woman's expression twist from one of shock into one of horror, a mean smirk appeared on Giuseppe's lips as he continued, **„but after a while he gets bored and drops 'em like wet potatoes. None really stick around, but they are a pain to deal with regardless."** with another huff the cook then turned around and opened a counter to pull out two knives, seemingly done with his little rant.

Michelle remained completely silent throughout all of it, not knowing how she should act after this. She certainly didn't expect a verbal onslaught like that, at least not at the first day of work and without _doing anything to earn it._ This man didn't even know her- and appearantly doesn't seem too interested in getting to know her either- yet he already threw some whacky accusations her way. Was the cook really telling her that- that he thought she was just here for fun...? Or to oogle the Minister?! No. This... Giuseppe obviously had it all wrong. Those were some awful accusations, not just against her but also against Lord Cracker, and she was convinced that none of them were true. _Lord Cracker only offered me a job because Miss Panea basically begged him for it, plus he made it clear that he wanted me to help with Biscuits Island's prosperity, just like any other citizen. He didn't give me a job under him because of... whatever this Mink Chef is trying to imply!_

_Man, what a lunatic! What does he even think he'll achive by feeding me all this nonsense?_ Michelle thought and started to gnaw on her lip. As she was trying to think of a good comeback (preferably one that didn't involve yelling at the chef), Giuseppe spoke up again.

**„...Gotta give Cracker some credit tho, lately he's been suprisingly tame. Haven't seen him invite a new fillie in quite some time,"** Giuseppe said and started to sharpen one of the knives by swiftly pulling the edge of the other one against its back, **„could be that the death of our last kitchen maid, cute little Marie, dampened his drive."** he raised the knife and took a good look at its now shimmering blade before pointing it at Michelle,

**„then again, if that were really true, you wouldn't be here now, would ya?"**

The young woman now had a mix of anger and confusion on her face. She was here to cook, yet her new 'boss' just kept on filling her in on stuff that had nothing to do with her new job. Why was he doing this? And who the hell was he talking about now? Marnie...? _Marie?_ She never heard of someone like that before...

**„Wait a second-"** something suddenly clicked in Michelle's mind. **"Hold on, are you saying- the last kitchen maid died?! I thought she just quit or something! W-What- How- What happened to her?"**

**„Mh? Why'd ya wanna know that?"**

The sinister glint in Giuseppe's eyes didn't go unnoticed by her, and just further unsettled the young woman.

**„Did he- did Lord Cracker have something to do with it?"** she asked bluntly, and almost wanted to slap herself right after. She didn't know why that was the first thing that came to her mind, but the words just rushed out of her mouth without any second thought. Maybe because the Big Mom Pirates were known for being rather cruel, even to some of their own people...? At least according to what Umi told her, the Yonko herself had appearantly killed some of her staff members in the past already. But what about Cracker- would the Minister really do something like that...? _I sure hope not,_ Michelle thought and started to bit down on her lip again.

Her question was quickly answered however when Giuseppe suddenly burst out into loud laughter. **„BAHAHA! What'd make you think that?!?! Sure, Boss Cracker is pretty ruthless, but even he ain't just killing gals because they don't interest him anymore."**

As her cheeks were heating up, Michelle lowered her head in a mix of shame and relief while the cook started to taunt her again.

**„You're really just as gullible as I thought..."** he snarled before his expression turned a bit more serious.

**„Nah. Lil'Marie was supposed to sail to Wheat Island to pick up some special flour, but the girl was dumb enough to try and set sail in the late evening. Can ye imagine! No one can make a trip like that before nightfall and without stoppin' anywhere, but that idiot tried regardless..."** he shook his head and walked over to the pantry, where he picked up a crate filled with fresh tomatoes and carried it back into the kitchen, **„her lil' ship got all munched up by the sea ants before the coast patrol could even set out to search for her. They later found her half-eaten body on the hardened grapejuice sea."**

Michelle's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates because of Guiseppe's story, and she had to remind herself not to freak out. The last girl that worked for Cracker got eaten?! By the same ants that were now terrorizing the Island?! _Oh god..._

Of course she already heard about the sea-dwelling ants during her travels with her family, but they were always fortunate and smart enough to sail while the sun was up high and therefore did not run at risk of encountering them.

_Still... if the previous girl really died because of those creatures... man, life in Tottoland is definitely not as dreamy as I thought!_

Shaking off her previous anger, Michelle looked at Giuseppe and slightly nodded her head. Well, if he really just lost his last assistant, maybe that's why he was so rude to her? Perhaps he just saw her as some cheap replacement for the girl that died...? 

**„I-I'm sorry to hear about that! Were you and her- uhm, close?"** she asked in a meek voice; and although Giuseppe looked a bit conflicted while he told his story, he quickly snapped back to his rude self again.

**„Girl, don't ya ever listen to what I say? She was just a dumb little filly, just like any other gal Lord Cracker drags into mah kitchen,"** he huffed, **„not even he seemed that bothered by her demise, so why should I be?"**

The harshness in his voice caused Michelle to flinch. _How heartless! ...But maybe I could ask Umi or Panea about that girl and her accident later. It would probably be useful in case Lord Cracker ever sends me out on a mission to another island,_ she thought and straightened out her back again.

**"Anyway, you're not here for a storytime, are ya?"** Giuseppe then declared, seemingly ready to at last begin with what they were supposed to do.

**"Lord Cracker is prolly waiting for us to get started already. So go get you one of these aprons, now!"** he added and pointed at a small wardrobe next to the door, where a bunch of different-sized aprons were hanging. 

Glad that the previous uncomfortable conversation was over and that they would finally start with the cooking, Michelle hurried over to grab a light blue apron that seemed to be about her size and swiftly tied it around her waist.

Giuseppe quickly looked her over and nodded.

**"There! Now you at least look like a kitchen assistant."** he snarled, his voice dripping with sarcasm, **"so, lemme fill ya in on what you're gonna do here. For the time being you'll be working five days a week, from lunchtime to early noon, as my 'assistant' or kitchen maid or whatever tickles your fancy. Today we're cookin' a bit early 'cause I gotta see how useful you'll be, plus Boss Cracker has a mission he's gotta head out for in an hour or so, so lunch is basically replacing breakfeast today. Ahem, anyway. Payday for you always marks the last day of the week and, pretty sure the Minista told you this already, you'll be paid more than the average wage as long as ya do your job properly, ya hear?"**

Undettered by his still sharp tone, Michelle eagerly nodded to signal him that she understood and was ready to begin. Although she wasn't too keen on working with Giuseppe, she was still excited for her first real job. And maybe doing some cooking could help her sort out those wild feelings from being accused of working only to eye the Minister as well!

**"Now- onto the rules. Rule number one- There'll be no running, no slipping or sliding, no whatever you do to move quickly in mah kitchen. Knock something over or spill something and you'll pay for it, got it?"**

Again, Michelle nodded.

**"Good. Rule number two- you do as you're told, always. Don't touch something without me telling you to! And don't think you're here as a cook like me; I've been doing this for decades, and you're just here to obey and learn from me. Not the other way around. Try and be cocky and Imma kick you out, yeah?"**

Her nod was a bit more hesitant this time. It really seemed as if she would need to be extra careful around this guy. _I wonder if he's just in a bad mood today or if he always acts like this,_ she mused and her mouth slightly twitched, _I definitely hope it's not the latter._

**"Alright, then that's it for the rules! Make sure to follow them, and we won't be having a problem. Now, we're doing something simple today. Something no kitchen maid, no matter how dumb or gullible, could ever mess up."**

_Please don't try to hold me to any standard already..._ Michelle silently prayed, thinking about how unexperienced she still was. Hopefully Cracker didn't tell him about what she said yesterday. The grumpy chef definitely didn't need to know about how little she knew about cooking. But, it's not like she needed to know a lot if she was just here to follow orders anyway, right...?

**"I already prepared some meatballs and a pan over there while I was waiting for ya to get here-"** Giuseppe said and pointed over at a counter, **"so all ye gotta do is give them a good fry and make sure that they don't burn. Think you can handle that?"**

Michelle nodded dutifully. _Well, that sounds easy enough._

Even though the mink still seemed rather displeased to have her in his kitchen, Giuseppe huffed an **"alright"** before turning around and walking to another counter with a large pot on it. It looked as if he wasn't planning to closely observe Michelle and what she was doing, which was more than fine by her.

She quickly walked over to her workplace, where she examined all the things the chef put out for her. The pan was already placed on the stove, and next to it was a plate with roughly a dozen of well-formed meatballs on it, as well as a large bottle of oil next to it. Everything was literally laid out for her, and all she had to do was put it together. So Michelle started by pouring some oil into the pan, turned up the heat on the stove, and then began to drop in the meatballs one by one once the oil started to fizzle.

Like a hawk she stood watch infront of the pan and kept a close eye on the meatballs, slightly tilting the pan from time to time to make sure that they were getting evenly fried and didn't burn like Giuseppe told her. It was a pretty simple task, and she was determined to excel at it. Despite the cook's harsh verbal treatment of her, she might still be able to turn the tide and show him that she was worth more than what he expected of her. _Right! I'll show him- this guy has no idea who he's dealing with!_ She thought proudly and smiled to herself.

But all of a sudden, a cold breeze swept through the room and caused Michelle to turn around and shudder. _Where did this cool air suddenly come from...? There wasn't even a single window in the kitchen!_ Confused, the young woman tried to turn her attention back at the pan again, when suddenly- 

**„GYAAA!"**

-a pair of black button eyes stared right back at her.

Startled by the young woman's scream, Giuseppe instantly twirled around and angrily dropped some kitchen tools he was previously working with, before marching over to see what was going on. But one look at the pan- and the now living meatball- told him everything he needed to know.

His gaze wandered over to Michelle, who was clutching her chest as if she just had a heart attack, and an angry vein popped up on the mink's forehead.

**„What? Don't tell me you've never seen living food before?! It's a Tottoland speciality, dammit!"** he growled at her.

His sharp voice caused her to snap right out of her paralysis, and her shock was immediately replaced with embarrassment.

**„N-No, I mean, yes, I have! But I just... never saw it come to live right before me..."** Michelle replied, to which the chef shook his head. They just started, yet his patience was already running thin.

**"Well, you better get used to it soon, ya hear? Stuff like this happens all the time, and I can't have you screech like a fool whenever it does!"**

Michelle looked back at the pan for a second before averting her gaze, and while biting down on her lip she muttered a small apology. _God dammit! Why is this always happening to me?!_

The young woman still had some issues with talking food, and although she started to grow more used to it ever since her first 'brunch' with Umi, she still wasn't keen on having it around her all that much. Not to mention that this was the first time ever that she saw it come to life! And this had to happen on her first day at work too. Marvellous.

Giuseppe glared at her for a few more moments before muttering something inaudible under his breath and returning to his own workstation once again.

With slightly red cheeks Michelle herself turned back to the pan, where the meatball was still sizzling and staring up at her. _Okay. Focus. You can do this._ Releasing another sigh, the young woman picked up where she left off. 

But of course, now that the food had a mouth, it was sure as hell gonna use it.

**„Will you eat me?"** the meatball asked.

**„No, I'm preparing you for someone else."** she replied briefly, not in the mood to really have a conversation now.

**„I see!"** the little homie squealed as she slightly moved the pan again, which caused him and the other meatballs to roll from side to side, **"Do you think I'll be tasty?!"**

**„Ehm... hopefully...? I mean I'm trying my best..."** Michelle muttered, trying to stay focussed. Which actually proved to be rather difficult when you have food talking to you.

**„Oh boy oh boy! I must be lucky, getting prepared by one of the best chefs!"** the meatball cheered again and looked around the luxurious kitchen with his tiny black eyes.

**„No no, I'm actually not a chef- I'm just an assistant! Mister Guacamole or whatever his name is is the real chef here..."** Michelle huffed, but slowly started to feel more comfortable. This... actually wasn't that bad. In fact, it was just like cooking normal food... well, plus a bit of talking. She almost wanted to ask the meatball if he didn't feel any pain or something getting fried like this, when she was suddenly interrupted- appearantly the little conversation between woman and homie didn't go unnoticed.

**„GIRLIE!!! ARE YOU BONDING WITH THE FOOD?!"** Giuseppe suddenly screeched, and Michelle almost dropped her pan because of it.

Again, the chef looked over at her and shook his head, **„the hell was Boss Cracker thinking, sending someone like that into my kitchen?! Talking to food, that's the thing you'd expect from a kid or a senile granny! If preparing meatballs in silence is too much to ask of ya already, then at least take care of the pasta and watch that it doesn't boil over!"** he pointed at the large pot infront of him, before moving away from his place to seemingly switch positions and take care of the meatballs for her.

Not wanting to further anger him, the young woman gulped hard before walking over to the other counter, her head held low when Giuseppe walked past her. They were only cooking for a few minutes, but the cook already seemed more than done with her. _Focus, Michelle! This is your first day at work- you can't mess up already!_ as soon as she reached the large pot, she quickly peeked inside of it- and as if some sort of curse was following her through the kitchen today, a few strings of pasta immediately stared right back at her.

**„Please! Don't seperate me from my beloved husband!"**

**"My sweet gluten-free darling, oh where art though? I can't see you!"**

**"Does anyone know where my child is?! He was just next to me and the other noodle a second ago! Please, he also looks like a noodle!"**

Unable to take the chatter and with visible guilt on her face, Michelle sighed and closed the lid. _Let's just... try and keep the pasta from overcooking..._ she thought and glanced back at Giuseppe, who was not only keeping watch on the meatballs, but also started to chop up some vegetables for the sauce. It looks as if he was really keen on doing most of the work himself.

Another sigh left her because of that, she truly wasn't the most useful. Her lips twisted into a small frown as she continued to watch the pot infront of her, but once again, her task was quickly interrupted by the sound of the mink chef yelling at the other end of the kitchen.

**"Damn it! How could I forget about that?!"** Giuseppe cursed and slammed the pan with the meatballs down on the counter, which caused Michelle to flinch and look over at him.

**"Oi, girlie, I got a new job for you! Bring Boss Cracker his wine, I'll watch the pasta and take care of the other stuff in the meantime."** the chef pointed at her and then reached into one of the cabinets above the kitchen counter to pull out a large bottle of wine and a glass.

Although Michelle's first thought was that it might be a bit much for one man to simultaneously take care of pasta, meatballs, and sauce, she didn't want to give the cook a new reason to get mad at her. It was also sort of nagging on her that she didn't get to finish even a single task until now yet he was already appointing her to the next thing, but what could she do? With a simple sigh Michelle walked over to take the wine bottle from him and do as she was told, but just as she reached out to grab it, Giuseppe suddenly pulled it back again.

**"And don't spill any of this, ya hear me?! This wine is ultra rare and expensive, so if you mess up it'll be taken straight from your salary!"**

That caused her to gulp. Although a part of her was relieved to get away from the grumpy mink, she was also a bit scared now because of what he said. With a slow nod Michelle carefully took the wine and glass and put it on a plate, before she head out through the other door Giuseppe was pointing at. 

Just as expected, said door led her straight into a large dining room decorated with more expensive-looking furniture. The most noteable thing was the giant table with a lavish purple tablecloth standing in the middle, and a huge golden chandelier was gently swaying above it. If she didn't know any better, Michelle would have thought she walked right into one of those super expensive 5-Star-Celebrity Restaurants. It's almost insane to think that she was working for someone who could afford all that luxury.

And speaking of which- at the very end of the giant dinner table sat the man that owned everything, Charlotte Cracker. A few papers were sprawled out next to him, but once the door swung open and Michelle entered the room, he turned his attention towards the young woman and grinned his usual grin.

**"There she is! My newest member of staff!"** his voice sounded rather cheerful, indicating that he was in a good mood.

**"It's nice to see you again, S-Sir,"** Michelle stammered and slightly bowed her head to greet him. She then walked over to his side, carefully balancing the plate with the wine in her hands. The feeling of Cracker's eyes burning into her caused the young woman to be even more wary of her steps, and the walk to his end of the table was almost uncomfortably long because of how slow she moved. Luckily though Michelle managed to reach him without tripping or spilling any of the wine, and a wave of relief washed through her once she was next to his chair. Her cheeks were already a bit red from being stared at by the Minister again, but she made sure to ignore it.

With slightly shaking hands she put down the glass and opened the wine bottle before carefully pouring the dark red liquid into the glass. Michelle did her best to keep the bottle steady so nothing would spill, but she could already feel herself working out a sweat under the Minister's watchful gaze. Why couldn't he look away...? Having him watch her just stressed her out even more!

But despite her nervosity, Michelle managed to pour the wine without spilling even a single drop.

**"Here you go, my Lord,"** she said quietly and held out the glass, trying to hide her relief.

Cracker's gloved fingers brushed against her hand as he took the glass from her, which caused Michelle to hold in a gasp and she instantly let go and pulled away in surprise.

**"Heh, I hope you're not that jumpy in my kitchen, little Michelle,"** visibly amused by her reaction, Cracker swayed the glass in his hand and watched as the liquid inside swept from one side to the other.

**"I'm... doing my best,"** Michelle whispered in response and turned her head to the side to hide her blush. She was also silently hoping that Giuseppe wouldn't tattle on her and tell the Minister about how she was chatting with his food earlier.

**"Oh, I bet you are! I genuinely can't wait to see what you'll serve me today,"** Cracker chuckled as he lifted the glass to his lips, **"judging by all the screaming, I imagine it to be... quite the special dish."**

_Ah shit._ So the Minister actually heard them. The blush on her cheeks only deepened as she quickly bowed her head to excuse herself again and hurried back to the door. _Please don't let him know that I talked to the food, please don't let him know that I talked to the food..._

Upon returning to the kitchen though, Michelle quickly realized that Giuseppe must have been working at high-speed while she was gone, and once she closed the door behind herself, he was as good as finished with the whole dish. _How in the hell did he- wait, did he purposefully send me out to Cracker so he could finish the food on his own?!_ Michelle squinted her eyes at the chef, who was now bearing a condescending smirk and rubbed his hands together, pretending to get rid of some leftover dust.

**"Took ye long enough! Heh, I'm basically done with everything now."**

**"Yeah... I can see that."**

The chef grinned a dirty grin at the obvious disappointment in her voice. He swiftly put some pasta onto a plate, added some sauce and a few meatballs, and held it out at the still frowning young woman.

**"Voilà! Now ye can go right back out and bring Boss Cracker his meal."** there was a mocking undertone to his voice that it didn't go unnoticed by Michelle, and she really had to hold herself back from making any unpleasant remarks.

The young woman felt more than a little stupid for returning to the dining room so quickly again, but whatever. If the cook thought that she was gonna get mad or yell at him for finishing everything without her, he was dead wrong. At least this meant her first day at work was as good as over, right? 

_This was kind of underwhelming... but hey, at least I didn't break anything!_ she thought and walked over to Giuseppe. Without even looking at him she picked up the plate and some cutlery, still doing her best to be as careful as possible. _Well, but I better not jinx it!_

However, Michelle slightly hesitated to walk back to the door. Technically, if the chef would have waited just a liiiiittle bit longer, she could have served the wine alongside the food instead of walking back and forth two times in a row like that... honestly, this was a little embarrassing for her. _What will Lord Cracker think when he sees me coming back right away...?_

Suddenly Giuseppe loudly cleared his throat behind her as she was standing infront of the door, which made Michelle shake her head and force herself to leave the kitchen again. _Argh, whatever, let's just get this over and done with..._

And safe to say, the Minister was a bit surprised to see her return with his food so quickly- but instead of asking her about it, he simply put his half-empty wine glass down on the table and then looked at the young woman with an amused expression.

**"My my, aren't you a fast little worker,"** Cracker snickered loudly as he pushed some of his paperwork to the side to make room for the plate. And for the first time ever, his eyes weren't actually focussed on her, but rather the food in her hands. 

After taking a deep breath, Michelle walked over to the Minister again, but she was unable to really hide her disappointment and embarrassment. **"Well... Sir Giuseppe already prepared and finished everything while I was gone. No clue how he did that, but... I didn't really contribute much today."** she admitted as she put the plate down and handed the Minister his cutlery.

**"Don't take it personal, little one,"** Cracker replied as he noticed the disappointment on her face, **"Giuseppe is a pretty grouchy guy. It'll take a while for him to warm up to you, but I'm confident that it'll work out eventually."**

Although his words were meant to be encouraging, there was just something about his tone that told her that he already knew this was going to happen. _If what the chef said is true and Lord Cracker really drags new girls into his kitchen all the time... then I guess he could be used to this type of situation already._ Michelle bit down on her lips, now feeling a little doubtful about whether or not the mink chef was really lying to her earlier.

**"I sure hope so..."** the young woman replied quietly and moved out of the way so Cracker could pick up his fork and begin to eat.

This time she didn't leave him, but instead took a few steps back and remained still behind his chair. She was going to be smart about this. Once the Minister was done with his meal she would just get the plate and bring it back into the kitchen- that way she didn't have to walk back into the dining room for a third time.

Although Michelle thought that it might be a little weird to have another person watch you while you're eating, Cracker didn't really seem to mind and immediately started to dig in. Everything was going fine at first, but eventually the Minister picked up the meatball Michelle was previously talking to with his fork and started to chew on it. The young woman simply couldn't help but avert her gaze and stare at the ground when that happened. It was unsettling to say the least; especially the steadily decreasing sound of the homie cheering while it was being devoured caused her to cringe. Food that was alive and sings to you... that was one thing. But having to eat food that cheers you on and seems delighted to be eaten, basically killed... that was what she was really struggling to adapt to. _How come everyone else in Tottoland was so... nonchalant about this...?_

While Cracker continued his meal, Michelle looked around the room for a bit to distract herself. Eventually she started to think about her home. Ever since her teapot 'Potty' came to life, it was as if she had a group of new friends living under the same roof as her. At first she felt weird and almost crazy for talking to her furniture like they were normal people, but after a while Michelle greatly started to value her interactions with the homies. Their always positive attitude was really rubbing off on her from time to time, and occasionally she even found herself humming along to their cheerful tunes.

So when she noticed that the Minister was finished with his meal, she almost felt excited since it meant that she could go back home soon. Smiling a bit, Michelle walked forward and reached out to take his now empty plate while he cleaned his mouth with a napkin.

**"Alright, I'll take this back to the kitchen then-"**

However, the young woman quickly stopped herself when she noticed how the Minister was staring at her. Wait. Did she make a mistake just now? _Does he want to keep his plate? No, why would he?!_

**"Well?"** Cracker asked and raised a non-existent eyebrow.

**"W-Well?"** Michelle repeated, clueless as to what he wanted.

**"Where's the dessert?"**

**"...Uhm, what?"**

**"You're in Tottoland little one, surely you must know that you can't just eat a meal without having dessert."** he sighed dramatically, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world, **"I need to leave for a mission soon, so I want to be properly satiated. I'd rather not get hungry in the middle of a fight. Do you understand that?"**

A little embarrassed that she didn't pick up on it right away, Michelle shyly nodded her head before taking his plate away.

**"O-Of course. Is... is there something specific you might have in mind?"** she asked and forced herself to sound a little more cheerful.

Cracker leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin with a deceitful look on his face, pretending to think about her question.

**"Mh. There certainly are quite a lot of delicious things to choose from..."** he purred and not so-subtly looked her up and down before turning his attention back at the papers next to him, **"but I think we'll keep it simple today. A few eclairs should suffice."**

Michelle nodded again at his request and swiftly walked out of his sight, ignoring the way he was previously eyeing her. She had other things to worry about- because by now, her hip was slowly starting to hurt again. Continously scurrying from room to room obviously had its price, and she knew that it would only get worse if she didn't get some rest soon.

Giuseppe huffed as he saw the young woman return to the kitchen, obviously not pleased that she was back again.

**"Lord Cracker would like some eclairs for dessert."** Michelle announced calmly and looked over at the mink, who kept up the eye contact for a moment before nodding.

**"Sure thing. Still got some stored in the fridge, top row. Can't miss it."**

Huh, this was probably the most civilized he ever sounded today.

_Maybe there is some hope after all._ Michelle mused and forced herself to smile weakly as she first waddled over to drop the dirty dishes in the sink and then walked over to the fridge to get the eclairs. She knew that Giuseppe was watching her, probably because she started to limp again. But even if he was, he didn't say anything about it. Which Michelle was pretty grateful for.

And then, for the third time that day, she entered the dining room and rushed over to Cracker's side again. 

This time the Minister was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed behind his head and a calm expression on his face, and as Michelle put down the plate with the eclairs infront of him, he started to hum a little.

**„Well well, little one- for your first day as my kitchen maid... I'd say you didn't do too bad."** Cracker suddenly declared as his lips twisted into a surprisingly happy-looking smile, and not the creepy grin as usual.

It honestly made him look... almost kind. And surprisingly handsome. His praise caused Michelle's heart to skip a beat and she smiled back at him. Despite not even doing that much in the kitchen she was actually rather tired already (mostly mentally though), and also sorta proud of herself for not messing anything up. Sure, Giuseppe was pretty harsh with her, but as long as the Minister was happy, everything would be alright.

...

... 

...

-If only she knew then that their whole dynamic was going to change drastically within the next few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy look, a 'short' chapter! Sorry it took so long, but I was reeeeally busy with finishing my Summer Event on tumblr and playing Cracker in PW4 huhu :'D But check it out, we got a new character! As you can probably tell already, Giuseppe is not really a nice guy- but he ain't absolutely terrible either xD Fun fact: the thing he was screaming about last chapter was Michelle lol. He just got the news that another new cooking assistant would join his kitchen and he's not happy about it. The things he told her will play a semi-significant role in the coming plot development, along with the smol seeds of doubt he planted within her... Also--- it might be a bit obvious, but I really love to write interactions with Michelle and the homies x'D I genuinely don't see the little things in many fanfictions about Tottoland, which I think is a big missed opportunity!!! Imagine if your furniture or food suddenly came to life- wouldn't you struggle to deal with it as well...? So that's kind of an issue I wanted Michelle to have for the first few chapters~ I'm legit super excited for the next part because,,, ahhhh I'm not gonna spoil!! But just so you know, we're slowly starting to get to the real meat of the story~ 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! And if you have any feedback, please let me know<3!


	9. Unexpected Danger

**Trigger Warning: There's going to be some violence and a death in this chapter! What a nice way to kick off the romance x'D**

Two weeks had passed since she first set foot into Cracker's kitchen, and by now Michelle had grown fairly used to her new schedule. Giuseppe still didn't really like her, but at least the mink was getting more tolerant of having her around. His comments about how 'useless' she was also started to decrease as time went on, and especially after Michelle stopped freaking out about the talking food. Of course she was still a bit bothered by the things the chef told her at day one, but for most of the time she managed to push that aside and focus on her work.

As a result, her cooking was also getting a lot better. Sometimes, after she got home, Michelle would even try to re-create some of the dishes Giuseppe taught her in her own kitchen. Well, they never turned out quite as good as the chef's works, but there was no denying that she was improving. A lot. Right now, the young woman was very happy with her new situation. Not only was she learning to cook for herself, but she also earned her own money now and was able to live after her own rules. No more taking orders from her parents, no more sailing around the seas against her will- at last, the independence she always longed for seemed to be within reach. Everything was going for her well. Right?

...But as the days went by, Michelle also started to feel a little... _weird_ around Cracker. It wasn't the same _'I'm-kinda-scared-and-creeped-out-by-this-guy'_ -weird she felt in his presence until now, but rather a _'this-man's-behaviour-confuses-me'_ -weird. Since she was around him almost every day, the young woman slowly got to know an entirely new side of the Minister. Most of the time Cracker was genuinely nice to her, even despite his sometimes arrogant tendencies, and Michelle found that he was actually... rather pleasant company. Just like during their first meeting many weeks ago, he would sometimes crack jokes or give her some subtle advice- and not to mention how he would always praise the young woman for whatever she was doing.... it really encouraged her, and sometimes she even found herself looking forward to work just so she could spend some time with him or talk to him. To make matters worse, he was also constantly making her blush, and not just with embarrassment anymore. Being around Cracker felt... almost empowering in a way. To think that this big shot pirate wanted _her_ in his presence, engaged _her_ in conversations, told _her_ about his life and even touched _her hands_ occasionally... it was very hard for Michelle to wrap her finger around it, but she couldn't figure out whether they were starting to become friends or.... something else. I mean- you don't feel this type if weird around _friends_ , do you?

Her curiosity had gotten so intense that she would sometimes even ask Giuseppe about the Minister while they were cooking; and although she still didn't really believe in the things the mink told her about Cracker during her first day at work, he did know the Minister a lot better than she did. So, right now, the cranky chef was her best shot at finding out more about Cracker and his possible intentions.

Today they just finished with serving up some meatloaf and were busy cleaning up the kitchen when Michelle once again started to talk about the Minister.

**„You really seem to know Sir Cracker very well."** she noted as she was cleaning the dirty dishes in the sink.

**„Duh. I've been working for him for years, basically since he took control of this place decades ago."** came the response from Giuseppe, who checked on the pantry to make sure that everything was properly stored away for the next day.

**„Wait- decades? Sir Cracker has been in charge of Biscuits Island for that long already?!"**

**„...Well, yeah. Why? Did ya think he was just appointed recently?"**

**„N-No, but... I just didn't think he was that old already."** the young woman admitted in a sheepish tone and quickly lowered her head as her cheeks began to glow a little.

**„He didn't tell ya?"** Giuseppe asked and stopped with what he was doing to look over at her, **„how old do you think he is?"**

Good question, Michelle thought and stared down at the plate in her hand, trying to think of a good response. _He has some wrinkles, that's true, but overall Lord Cracker is still rather youthful looking. So... maybe...._

**„Uh... like... 32....?"**

It was quiet for a second, and then Giuseppe broke out into laughter.

**„BAHAHA! You gotta be kiddin' me!"** the mink howled and shook his head before a sly smirk appeared on his face. **„He's 45."**

... _Okay._ She did _not_ expect that.

**„What- NO WAYYY. That would mean he's almost- HE'S ALMOST AS OLD AS MY DAD!"** Michelle yelped and almost dropped the plate, but luckily she still managed to catch it in time.

Giuseppe cocked an eyebrow at her.

**„Yer dad is the same age? Then how old are you?"**

**„19, b-but I'll turn 20 in a few months!"** she replied shyly, and the blush on her cheeks only grew. Michelle didn't like to talk about her age in general, and especially not to someone who was already judging her for being 'young and dumb'.

**„..."**

Again, the chef remained quiet for a moment, before he slowly shook his head.

**„Damn. He's just gettin' worse and worse, ain't he..."** the look on Giuseppe's face almost read as pitiful when he said that. He then sighed, turned away from the pantry, and clicked his tongue.

**„Well, are you done? If ye cleaned all the dishes, then hurry and get outta here already!"** he huffed, their conversation obviously made him somewhat uncomfortable. Michelle, who felt a similar way, happily obliged and scrubbed the last plate clean in record-time before taking off her apron and saying her goodbye. After that, she scurried out of the kitchen as fast as she could.

~*~

On her way back home, Michelle eventually noticed a familiar figure at the side of the main street. It was the same homie that visited her on her first day- Treestan the Tree. Although his back was turned to her, she was certain that it was him. After all, he was instantly recognizable by the dry chocolate stuck in his leaves- so far, no other homie Michelle ever met liked to rub themselves in chocolate and was convinced that it would impress others. Now that she thought about it, it's really been a while since they last spoke. After his failed flirt attempts back when she moved in, the tree homie continued to visit her for a bit and tried to win her heart again, but once he realized that it was for naught, he eventually stopped coming to her place. And although their last interaction was long over a week ago, Michelle thought it would be rude to just ignore him. She slowly made her way over to the homie, who seemed to be caught up in a rather heated discussion with a human citizen. But just as she was about to call out his name, Treestan suddenly leaped forward and grabbed the citizen by his neck, an act that caused the young woman's eyes to widen. Without wasting any time, Michelle moved faster and hurried over to help the poor man, who was seemingly getting attacked by the homie.

By now other citizens who were previously going about their days stopped as well and watched the spectacle at the side of the road with curiosity. Once Michelle was sure that she was within hearing range, she opened her mouth to call out to Treestan.

**„HEY, TREESTAN! WHAT ARE YOU-"**

_BANG!_

The earpiercing sound of a gunshot suddenly tore through the air, and the young woman immediately stopped dead in her tracks. Just a moment later the tree homie let go of the man, tumbled backwards, and then landed on his back. His expression was completely empty and distorted in terror, and there was a small hole right between his eyes, from which smoke began to rise.

Michelle took in a shaky breath as she looked at his unmoving body. **„Tree... Treestan...?"**

The other citizens that stood by and watched until now were just as startled by the gunshot and quickly began to panic and run around, desperately trying to get away from the crime scene as fast as possible. Michelle though was frozen in place and still stared at the now dead homie with disbelief. Even if it was 'just a tree', Treestan was someone she knew and used to talk to. And now... he was gone. The person responsible for this, an equally terrified-looking young man with a face covered in scars, quickly scanned through the panicking masses with a hectic expression, as if he was searching for something. And then he spotted Michelle. Their eyes met and the young woman returned to her senses. Now there was only one thought running through her mind: **Run.** Of course, thanks to her physical condition, that was as good as impossible for her; so instead of running she _limped_ away as fast as she could. She had to get home, she had to get away. Right now Michelle couldn't care less about her posture or how ridiculous she might look- all she cared about was getting to safety. 

But alas, she wasn't quick enough.

The young woman barely made it off the main road when someone suddenly tackled her from behind, and within seconds Michelle landed face-first on the ground. **Hard.** She cried out in pain as her hip made a very unpleasant noise, similiar to the sound of bones crushing against one another. It hurt like hell, but she was trying to ignore it and desperately attempted to get up and crawl away, but something was keeping her down. Something heavy. It didn't take long for her to realize that someone was sitting on her back, probably to keep her from escaping. Although the pain was almost unbearable, it was quickly replaced with a new feeling of panic when she heard a _click_ and then felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed against her temple. For a second her blood freeze, and then Michelle began to squirm, fearing for her life. She wanted to- _no,_ **had to** escape!

**"Fucking hell! Stop your struggling, you bitch-"** the thug spat as he was shifting around ontop of her, concentrating his weight on her hip so she couldn't get away. He then grabbed her head with one of his hands and smashed it against the pavement to keep her down, **"You better stay still and do as I say, or I'm gonna end you, got it?!"** his voice was high-pitched and filled with panic, almost as if he himself didn't know what he was doing. For a split second the young woman thought about pleading for her life, but then the gun that was previously pressed against her head disappeared and instead the blade of a large knife flashed up before her eyes. **"Goddammit, where are the others?! They were supposed to pick me up like ten minutes ago already!"** her captor cursed, obviously distraught. She could hear him fumble around with the gun, probably to reload it, and that moment of him not paying attention to her caused a new idea to pop up in her mind. It was risky, but she wasn't going to let herself be used as a hostage. Once again Michelle began to struggle underneath the man to get him off of her, but this time she did so with as much strength as she could muster up. Unfortunately though, it still wasn't enough. The thug was simply to heavy.

**"Didn't I tell you to stay still?!?!"** he screeched and stopped whatever he was doing with the gun to bring the knife dangerously close to her throat.

At that point, the adrenaline was starting to kick in. She might not have that much power in her legs anymore, but her arm strength was still there. The thug shrieked in surprise when the young woman suddenly rolled over onto her back and grabbed his hand with the knife, desperately trying to push it away from her throat. Maybe it was thanks to the adrenaline or just the pure survival instict within her that gave Michelle the extra strength; because for a moment it almost looked as if she was succeeding in pushing his arm away. But then, the thug suddenly dropped the knife and freed himself from her grip. Everything that occured within the next few seconds felt like a nightmare to her- first, the thug picked up the knife with his other hand and started slashing at her. Luckily she was fast enough to cross her arms infront of her face and neck for protection. However, her body was starting to grow numb from all the panic and adrenaline, which was definitely not a good sign. It usually meant that she was about to pass out, and in a situation like this, losing consciousness could end deadly for her. But then, something wet suddenly splashed against her skin. Michelle continued to keep her arms crossed infront of her face for a few more moments, still not wanting to risk getting hurt, but the wet sensation only got worse. Not just that, she also couldn't feel the thug slashing at her anymore. With utmost caution she peeked past her arms- and came face to face with the tip of a bloodied blade. Her attacker was looking down in shock at the giant sword that was sticking out from his lower abdomen. The blood from his wound was dripping down onto her stomach and legs, creating this unpleasant wet feeling, and that paired with the shocking sight of the impaled man infront of her made the young woman inhale sharply. For what felt like the sixth time that day, Michelle froze up. All she could do was watch while the terrified expression on the thug's face twisted into pain and then turned lifeless as he took his finale breath and collapsed ontop of her.

Michelle screamed in horror and immediately pushed the corpse off of her before she rolled over to the side and away from the body, still unable to fully process what just happened. The smell of blood and steel penetrated the air, and almost caused her to gag. This was... far too much to handle at once.

But as she was trying to keep herself from throwing up, a large shadow suddenly fell over her. It most likely belonged to the person who had just ended the thug's life- and by extension, saved hers. However, Michelle already had a good idea of who her saviour was. After all, the blade that killed the thug was one she has seen countless times already, and looking up just confirmed her suspicions.

**„Hehe, little one... I thought I once told you to be careful, or someone might come and try to snatch you up~!"** of course, the shadow belonged to none other than Charlotte Cracker, who quickly removed his bloody sword from the lifeless body and swung it over his shoulder again. Now he was looking down at the terrified woman with a toothy grin.

However, said grin quickly turned into a frown when he noticed blood seeping out of a large wound on her arm.

**„Oi! Don't tell me that guy actually got you?"**

Michelle blinked in confusion before she slowly followed his gaze and saw the large, bleeding cut on her lower arm. And as she was looking at it, the pain started to settle in as well.

**„O-Oh?! I'm hurt! I didn't even notice that..."** _it must have happened when he slashed at me with his knife,_ she thought and immediately pressed a hand against the wound to stop the bleeeding.

**„Huh, you got your arm slashed open and didn't notice it?"** the disbelief was obvious in the Minister's voice, but the young woman wasn't even listening to what he was saying right now. She was still in a state of shock and felt rather light-headed, overwhelmed because of everything that just happened. _Someone tried to murder her._ Right here, in the streets of Cookie Town. Close to her home. If Cracker didn't come to save her, she might have been dead by now. Her breathing got more uneven and she was starting to feel a mix of dizziness and nausea rising up within her while she continued to press a hand against her injury. _Don't think about it, don't think about it... Just try to stay calm. Hospital- I need to go to a hospital. Now!_ Michelle thought and took a few deep breaths.

...Well, first she had to get off the ground.

It wouldn't be an easy task, considering that her whole body was still shaking in fear, but she had to move. Michelle turned onto her stomach again and tried to lift herself, when another flash of pain suddenly jolted through her body, only this time it came from her hip. _Shoot! When that guy pushed me down, I must have landed on my bad side!_ Grinding her teeth together, the young woman tried to lift herself up again and again, but the pain was so intense that she collapsed everytime. To make matters worse Cracker was still watching her, which just added to her shame and embarrassment.

**„J-Just a second... When the thug pushed me I landed on my injured hip, s-so it might take a moment..."** her voice began to crack and she tried to turn her head away, tears of humiliation were now forming in her eyes.

Once again Michelle attempted to push herself up, but just like her previous attempts the pain completely paralyzed her and caused her to fall back onto the ground. _This day was turning into more and more of a nightmare._

**„Please... don't look at me..."** she sobbed, still feeling Cracker's stare burn into her. It was bad enough to have people look at her while she was limping through the streets, but having the Minister watch her as she was failing to get up, letting him see her completely helpless infront of him- that was the utterly worst.

Ready to give up for good, Michelle pressed her eyes shut to try and hold in the the tears, hoping that her blood loss might allow her to slip into unconsciousness and escape from this hellish situation. But suddenly, two strong arms thrust underneath her legs and shoulders, and a second later she was lifted into the air. A surprised yelp immediately escaped from her lips as she turned her head to the side- and came face to face with Cracker.

His expression was unusually blank as he held her in his arms, and for a moment the young woman forgot about the pain and shame and just stared at him in disbelief. _Wait... Is he...?_ Realizing what he was doing, she instantly began to panic again.

**„I-I'm sorry, I didn't- I didn't mean to take that long!!! P-Please Sir, put me down..."** she stuttered and tried to wiggle out of his arms, but the Minister only tightened his grip in response.

**„Stop struggling. You're bleeding me a river here, so I'll get you to the hospital before you can pass out."**

Any hint of playfulness was completely gone from his voice, and Cracker's suddenly serious attitude almost scared Michelle. This... definitely wasn't how she knew the Minister.

Making sure that he had a good grip on her, Cracker quickly turned around and shouted a few instructions to the Chess Soldiers that accompanied him, telling them to check for other injured citizens and to get them to the hospital as well. He then turned his attention back to the frail woman in his arms and brushed some hair out of her face to see how she was keeping up.

Michelle however couldn't bring herself to look back at him.

She could literally _feel_ the muscles rippling through his chest as he held her close plus the heat radiating from his exposed skin, and if it wasn't for the fact that she was continuously losing more and more blood, she probably would have turned as red as a lobster by now. 

**"Urgh... I... I'm sorry... I think I'm gonna pass out..."** she panted, her eyes fluttering close a few times.

**"No, you're not."** Cracker firmly stated as he took a step forward, but then he looked down at her with a sly grin.

**"Oh, or do you need me to give you mouth-to-mouth? Is that it~?"** he purred and chuckled at his own terribly-timed joke. Michelle raised her hand as if she wanted to protest, but her vision suddenly turned completely black and she collapsed in his arms a second later; her body going limp like a bag of wet potatoes.

**"Oi, little one! _Michelle!_ Damn it, open your eyes!"** realizing that she wasn't responsive anymore, the Minister started to slightly shake her in an attempt to wake her up again. But it was too late. Michelle had passed out.

~*~

The next time she opened her eyes, everything around her was clouded in darkness. Michelle had no clue where she was, or how she got there. She tried opening her mouth to call out to someone, but no noise actually left her. This eery silence paired with the darkness genuinely started to unsettled the young woman, and she immediately tried to move her body to get away from it. But suddenly, the deafening sound of something breaking echoed through the air, and with a sense of dread and shock Michelle looked down on herself, only to find her body completely mangled up. Her legs were twisted and bloody, skin was ripped apart in certain places and exposed her bare flesh to the air, and she could even see the surface of a bone sticking out from her left foot. It was truly a sickening sight, and she opened her mouth scream again, but it still didn't work. The very worst part about this was that there wasn't even any pain, only... nothingness. She couldn't move her legs anymore, nor could she feel them. Her lower body was completely paralyzed. _This can't be... I can't be like that..._ her breathing grew shallow as she closed her eyes in an attempt to escape from this terrible reality, allowing the darkness to swallow her once more.

~*~

Michelle woke up with a sharp inhale, her eyes snapping open and heart beating loudly in her chest. _What... What did just happen...?_ She blinked a few times to make sure that she was really awake, and then eyed her surroundings. Right now, she was lying in a bed, inside of an unknown room. More importantly though, the room was filled with light, meaning that what previously happened most likely wasn't real. _It must have been another dream..._ she thought and instantly breathed a sigh of relief, her heartbeat slowly started to calm down as well. However, Michelle still forced herself to look down on her body to make sure that it was really just a dream and none of her bones were actually crushed. Much to her relief, everything looked okay- except from her left arm, which was wrapped up in bandages for some reason.

_Where am I...?_ Michelle wondered and gently traced over her bandaged arm as she looked around the room once more, trying to recall what happened before she lost consciousness.

**"Awake at last, are we~?"**

Suddenly, the sound of a familiar voice made her turn her head to the side- ...and who did she come face to face with? Charlotte Cracker. Of course. He was sitting in a chair next to her bed, his elbow propped up on the sheets. His eyes were locked on her face, and a tired smirk grazed his lips.

_Cracker... What's Lord Cracker doing here?_ Michelle squinted and slowly turned around to better face him.

**"Sir! Wha... What happened to me?"** she tried to ask him, but her voice came out unusually weak and raspy. Her throat was as dry as a desert. _Damn! I need to drink something,_ she mused and bit her lip in embarrassment because of how weird she just sounded.

The Minister simply chuckled at her and then tilted his head with feigned curiosity.

**"You seriously don't remember?"**

His words caused the young woman to furrow her brows in confusion, but then it hit her. She was on her way back home from work, but... something happened. The homie- Treestan- was killed. A thug slammed her against the ground and tried to take her life as well. She fought back, but was ultimately saved by the Minister- who then... picked her up and carried her away.... 

...Which meant- she must have passed out on the way here, _in his arms!_

That realization instantly caused Michelle's cheeks to glow a little.

_Oh shit._

**"Have you- have you been by my side all this time?"** she questioned, her expression a little uneasy, but still made sure to keep up the eye contact with Cracker.

**"What do you mean, 'all this time'? Heh, you haven't been asleep for that long, little one! I only carried you into the emergency room where they treated your arm, and then I brought you here- right now I'm just making sure that you don't do anything naughty until the doctor comes back to check on you, hehe!"** came the response.

**"O-Oh."** Of course, that did make sense. Well- to some degree. Why would the Minister stay by her side? He definitely had more important things to do, right?!

Michelle shook her head and slightly shifted around in her hospital bed. She was still trying to think of something to say when Cracker spoke up again.

**„You know... I gotta say, you were handling the pain pretty well,"** he suddenly commented, his eyes never once leaving her face, **„my younger sisters usually scream bloody murder from just a scratch, but back then you seemed to hold it together rather nicely. Mh, I mean you did pass out on me eventually, but something tells me that it wasn't from the pain."**

For a second the young woman blinked at the Minister with surprise, not sure whether or not this was supposed to be a compliment. Well, he was sort of right with his last statement- it wasn't really the pain that caused her to collapse. It was a mix of shock, panic, and blood loss.

**„Well, I've... I've had worse..."** she simply replied and averted her gaze, choosing to look outside the window instead. The sky was already turning orange as the sun began to set in the distance, which caused Michelle to sigh. _Urgh, how long have I been out?_

The young woman was sure that their conversation was finished, but for some reason her previous words only served to further pique the Minister's curiosity.

**„Well?"** he suddenly asked, an expectant expression on his face.

**„Uhm, what?"**

**„You can't just say something like that and then not tell me what you mean."** Cracker retorted, and crossed his arms infront of his chest as if to challenge her, **„Come on now- what could've a little thing like you possibly went through that's worse than almost getting killed?"** ...there it was, his teasing undertone. He was trying to provocate her again, but right now Michelle was too weak to come up with a snarky response. Instead, she decided to just settle for the truth. Hopefully that would satiate his curiosity.

**„...Well, you know how when you feel pain, you sometimes go into a state of shock or something...? In my case, that happens almost every time I get hurt. I don't really feel the pain until a while later or when I really focus on it... usually I'm just in so much panic that those aches don't reach me."**

She lifted her gaze to look at the Minister again, unsure if she should continue or not. But Cracker was looking oddly fascinated by what she was saying, and with a small nod he silently signalled her to go on.

So Michelle took a deep breath and continued;

**„I... uhm... I had an accident a while back. It was pretty bad, and I was forced to endure a lot of pain while being treated,"** she confessed and started to fidge around with her fingers, **„it's also... the reason why I'm limping sometimes. Luckily I made it out alive, a-and managed to recover so far."** Michelle decided not to tell him about what exactly happened, or how much that event changed her. It was terrible, and if she could avoid talking about it, she usually would. Back then, the time she spend in her parents' care just further caused her to realize how dependent she was. They did everything they could to help her and to make her feel better, but deep down Michelle knew that this wasn't how things were supposed to be. She shook her head and slightly straightened her back, now feeling a bit more sure of herself.

**„I know I can be naive... and gullible.... and forgetful... but I really want to change! I want to be someone others can depend on, not just someone who always depends on others!"** there was a certain strength and determination in her voice that caused Cracker to blink in surprise. He hadn't really seen this side of her yet, since she was usually so timid and shy around him; and once Michelle realized what she just said, her face lit up like it normally would and she quickly turned to look to the side.

**„Oh, I'm sorry! Rambling on and on like this... Ehm, anyway, how was your day Sir...?"** she inquired, hoping to change the topic. And luckily, Cracker didn't seem interested in asking her anymore questions about her pain tolerance.

**„Well, I'd say it was pretty good until I had to abandon my patrol and swoop in to rescue you and my citizens, little one,"** he grinned and leaned back in his chair to cross his arms behind his head. However, his grin quickly faltered.

**„It shouldn't have happened though. If anything, Biscuits Island should be the safest place in all of Tottoland, because I'm here."** he growled, and the hidden anger in his voice caused Michelle to shudder.

**"D... Do you have any idea who the man was?"** she winced and instinctively reached down to press a hand against her hip as memories of how the thug pushed her down flashed through her mind.

**"That's a good question,"** Cracker huffed, crossing his arms infront of his chest, **"we couldn't identify him yet, but appearantly he had some jars with young sea ants on him. Judging by all the glass shards my soldiers found lying around the homie that tried to stop him, I assume the thug was hired to let more of the ants loose so they would infestate the island- and the tree must have caught him, so he started to panic."**

**„....Anyway, that's just my theory for now. Regardless, I'm going to find out just how this happened... and whoever let this happen... shall pay the price."** he added, his voice dripping with menace and anger.

For a short period of time, their conversation ended there. The young woman choose to look outside of the window again, not keen on feeding into Cracker's anger. But then, Michelle suddenly realized something. This... this was actually the first time in a while that she could really talk to the Minister in private! During her job she usually just focussed on serving him his meal and only stuck around for light smalltalk, so this was _the_ opportunity... 

After all, there were quite a few questions that nagged on her, and she was curious to find out whether or not some of the things she was told about the Minister were true or not.

_Welp, here goes..._ Michelle thought and cleared her throat.

**"L-Lord Cracker... can I ask you something?"** she started, and nervously shifted around in her bed.

**"Mhh? Sure."** the Minister lazily opened one of his eyes to look at her.

**"Ehm...so I talked to Giuseppe this morning, and he told me something that I... I couldn't figure out whether he was telling the truth or not,"** as she was saying that, Michelle simultaneously grabbed the sheets of her bed, tightly clutching them in her hands.

**"Well? What is it?"** Cracker's voice sounded a bit more curious now and he craned his neck to better look at the young woman, showing her that she had his full attention.

_Okay. It's now or never._ Michelle took a deep breath, mentally gearing up for what was about to come, _I need to know!_

**"Are you... are you over forty?!"** she quickly babbled out, a bit louder than intended, and immediately shut her eyes as a hot blush rose to her cheeks. _There._ She asked the thing.

Michelle wasn't sure how he would react, and in her mind there was a good chance that Cracker might get offended by the sudden question regarding his age- but _ugh,_ she just needed to know!

**"I- yes, I am,"** the Minister replied in a surprisingly sober tone. The young woman still dared not to look at him directly, but in the corner of her eyes she could see him lean back in his chair again, and a small smirk tugged at his lips, **„It's true, I'm slightly older than most expect, but that has never been an issue for me. Hehe, as a matter of fact, I'd say my experience and maturity are quite beneficial most of the time,"** his voice grew more self-assured again as he continued, **"However, you shouldn't believe everything the old man says- Giuseppe hates assistants working in the kitchen, so he sometimes tries to scare them off by spouting nonsense."** his smirk turned into a toothy grin, **„It's quite entertaining, but can be bothersome as well."**

Michelle kept looking at Cracker from the side for a few more moments before she focussed her gaze on the sheets infront of her. _So... he really is as old as my dad! Giuseppe wasn't lying to me,_ she began to chew on her bottom lip, now visibly conflicted, _what about the other things the chef told me though? Are they true too...?_

Well, she was already starting to get a bit personal, so why not get some more answers while she was at it?

**„Ehm, he actually told me a few other things as well..."** the young woman stammered, her voice trailing off at the end. 

**„He did, huh? Well, amuse me then. What else did that old mink say?"**

_Should I really...?_ The thing that bothered Michelle the most was quite an intimate topic, and she wasn't sure whether or not it would be appropriate to ask about it. But seeing how they were talking openly for once, she might as well go for it.

**„He, uh, said that you often bring home... women. I-Is that true...?"** she finally asked, and of course regretted her words almost instantly. This was the one thing Giuseppe continously mentioned to her ever since day one, and she just couldn't stop thinking about it. The chef's accusations against the Minister were pretty heavy and really nagged on her conscious. But- did she really want to know the truth? Now that she finally asked about it, Michelle wasn't so sure anymore. 

But alas, it was too late.

**„..."**

The room grew silent for a moment. As usual, Cracker didn't answer her right away, but this time his silence kind of worried her.

**„W-Well? Is it really true?"** she didn't know why her heart was suddenly beating so much faster while she was anticipating his answer.

**„...I'm just saying that you don't need to feed into everything he tells you. Doesn't mean that he isn't saying the truth every once in a while."** Cracker finally replied, and Michelle could literally feel her heart drop in an instant because of his response.

**„So... it's true then."** a new feeling took over her senses, one she hadn't felt in quite a while- it was a strong mix of dark affirmation, sadness, and... disappointment? Well, although she already suspected that the Minister might have some... 'unprofessional relations' on the side, she genuinely didn't think he could actually be as depraved as Giuseppe tried to depict him. No, if anything, she always believed that the mink chef was wrong. But now...

**„Hehe, I didn't actually say that, did I? Who knows? ...Mh, what would it mean to you?"**

**„...E-Ehm- what?"** _uh oh._ Her eyes widened with surprise as Cracker suddenly twisted the conversation and made it about her, something Michelle didn't like one bit. After all, she was still busy being disappointed in him!

The Minister shifted around in his chair to get closer to her bed again, then pressed his elbow into the sheets and rested his head in the palm of his hand. He was eyeing her with an amused as well as curious expression.

**„Let's say I didn't do anything like that. Would that make you happy~?"** he grinned and tilted his head in a manner that almost made him look like a curious, innocent child- but the large, predatory grin he had on quickly betrayed that illusion. 

**„U-Uhm..."**

**„Or if I did, would you be sad?"**

Michelle's palms and forehead were starting to get a little sweaty, now she felt as if a huge spotlight was pointed directly at her.

Unable to tell whether he was being serious or just trying to mock her again, the young woman lowered her gaze and thought hard about how she should answer. Either way, she already gave herself away. _Damn it._ He obviously knew now that she was curious about him... That wasn't good. Cracker was still her boss, but now he might be thinking that she wanted-... **oh lord.** _Ahh, how inappropriate! Why did I even ask him about that?!_

However, before she could panic any further or respond and probably make this conversation even more embarrassing, the door to her hospital room suddenly swung open and a small man wearing a white lab coat entered the room. Michelle immediately had to stop herself from loudly exhaling with relief, the sight of the doctor almost felt like a divine intervention to her. Looks like she was saved. For now.

The small man quickly bowed his head as greeting, crossed the room until he reached the side of her bed, and pulled out a small bag filled with multiple surgical tools and a notebook. The sight of a large syringe glittering inside the doctor's bag caused Cracker to grimace and slowly pull back from her bed. He was shifting around in his chair, now visibly uncomfortable.

**"Miss Michelle, yes? It's good to see you awake!"** the doctor said in a cheerful voice and opened up his notebook, **"Don't worry, I'm just here to check on you and your arm real quick!"** he stepped closer until he was directly next to her, and then unwrapped the bandage that covered part of her arm- thus revealing a considerably small, neatly cleaned-up wound. This was the first time Michelle actually saw the injury up close, and she was surprised at how... tiny it seemed. _Wait, wasn't my arm completely covered in blood when Lord Cracker lifted me up? How could such a small wound bleed that much?_ confused, she looked up from the wound and stared at the doctor, who seemed to know exactly what she was thinking about.

**„Luckily the injury wasn't that deep and therefore didn't require any stitches. The man that attacked you must have grazed an artery, hence why you lost so much blood, but it's really nothing serious. Believe me when I say this, young lady: you'll be back on your feet in no time!"** he smiled and grabbed a new bandage from his bag to cover up the wound again.

**"Oh, thank god."** Michelle sighed and quietly returned the doctor's smile. That meant she could probably return home soon! Truth be told, the young woman greatly disliked sterile places, and _especially_ hospitals. After her accident, she spend a good amount of time lying in hospital beds, so being back in one made her rather uneasy since it just reminded her of those awful weeks of her life. But luckily, it sounded as if she wouldn't need to stick around for long this time.

Once the doctor was finished with applying the new bandage, he scribbled something into his notebook and then left the room again. As soon as the door closed behind him, Cracker instantly turned his attention back to the young woman.

**"Well, I guess it's time for me to leave as well,"** he announced, but instead of standing up and walking towards the door, he leaned forward and into her hospital bed once more, his hands reaching out towards her face, **„you know, I think you deserve a little reward for somewhat keeping that thug at bay until I arrived,"** he hummed and played with a strand of Michelle's hair, while she just looked at him with a puzzled expression, **„There is a new restaurant opening up for business next friday, and I've chosen to pay it a visit instead of eating at home that day. Mh, and I would greatly welcome it if you were to accompany me, little one."**

The young woman blinked in surprise. _Come again?_

Her eyes grew wide with disbelief. This... this sounded... an _awfully_ lot like a date idea to her! Michelle felt how her heartbeat instantly sped up because of the Minister's sudden proposal. But naturally, she also couldn't help but be a little skeptical. Giuseppe's words echoed through her head once more and a certain feeling of doubt began to nag at the young woman. It reminded her that Cracker didn't really answer her question from earlier, the one where she asked him about whether or not he was playing around with woman- something that still made her a bit uneasy. But... it would also be a lie to say that she didn't feel partly intrigued by the idea of spending some more time with him. Yes, she was interested in getting to know the Minister on a more personal level, there was no point in denying that now. However, there was no way she would just let herself be treated like some sort of... side-entertainment!

**"Just think of it as a fun little evening. You get the rare opportunity to dine with the Minister of Biscuits, and I get to introduce you to the more refined parts of Tottoland's cuisine. Which, undoubtedly, might broaden your culinary horizon as well, wouldn't you agree?"** Cracker added, noticing how torn she looked, **"I guarantee you, it'll be quite entertaining~!"**

Now it was Michelle's turn to swallow hard.

_Why... why is he doing this? He's not actually trying to be nice or 'reward' me, right?_ she thought to herself and looked back at the Minister, who was eyeing her with slight impatience now. _Well, I probably won't figure out his reasons unless I accept his offer..._

_Besides, I almost got killed today, so why the hell not?_

Still somewhat hesitant but with her mind mostly made up, Michelle gave the Minister a small nod. **"Uhm... s-sure. I'd be honored to accompany you, Lord Cracker!"**

You never know what'll happen unless you give it a try, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOOF obviously I have no clue on how to write action scenes, so I'm sorry if that part with the thug seemed rushed!!! Welp, Michelle is finally starting to get a bit interested in Cracker... but is that surprising? It was only a matter of time, after all x'D However, I can't help but feel as if the developments this chapter were a little... fast, huhu. But!!! I'm still happy with what I did and especially her struggling and failing to get up after being pushed down was quite important to me. It's to show how difficult life can be for her sometimes, even if she has grown used to most of her physical limitations. Moments like that just remind her of how... helpless she can be, and Michelle don't like it one bit. 
> 
> And unfortunately, life on Biscuits Island also isn't as peachy as she initially thought. The guy who attacked her + his motivations will actually be a plot point for the future, so stay tuned~! The next chapter and the one after that will wrap up the first third of this story, btw! Yes, it's going somewhere! I hope you liked it and as always, thank you very much for reading and supporting this stupid little story<3 Remember to stay safe and have a nice day :D!


	10. And that makes us...? Part 1

Cracker of course was more than excited when she finally agreed to his offer. A wicked grin quickly decorated his face, widening as he leaned closer to her. **"Splendid! It's gonna be a blast, I promise you that!"** for a brief moment his expression turned a bit warmer and he twirled her hair between his finger one more time, then stood up to leave. **"Once you're out of this hospital and back at work, I'll make sure to fill you in on all the details~! Hehe, I can hardly wait!"**

 **"Y-Yeah, I'm pretty excited as well!"** Michelle smiled and brushed the strand of hair Cracker was previously playing with behind her ear, before she looked up at the tall man and nodded.

**"Get better soon, yeah? I hope to see you back in my kitchen in a timely manner, little Michelle~! Until then!"**

Cracker left with a proud grin and his cape majestically flattered after him as he exited the room, and thus the young woman was all alone.

 **"...Okay. I guess that is really happening then."** Michelle whispered to herself, listening to the sound of his footsteps fading outside on the hallway while her heart continued to beat loudly in her chest. It really wasn't a lie when she said that she was excited- even if the young woman wasn't too sure on what to expect. A date with the Minister... no, she did _not_ think that this might ever happen. But... here she was now.

For the rest of the evening and part of the night, Michelle mostly reflected on the events that took place before she woke up in the hospital. It was still rather difficult for her to cope with the fact that she could have _died_ today, if it wasn't for Lord Cracker's interference. He saved her- and, now that she really thought about it, in more ways than just one. Literally speaking he of course rescued her from getting murdered, but there was something else he did that the young woman couldn't stop thinking about. When she was at her most vulnerable, lying on that street, unable to get up again... he was the one to help her and saved her from her shame. If he didn't pick her up, she might have been forced to stay on that ground until someone else decided to help. Did the Minister do it because he felt pity for her pathetic display? Or... was it something else? What other reason could he have? For all she knew, Cracker could have called over a Chess Soldier or used one of his Biscuit Warriors to carry her to safety. Why did he choose to do it by himself...? 

Michelle decided that it would probably for the best if she didn't think too much into it- because even though everything turned out somewhat alright in the end, she didn't want to dwell on that terrible moment anymore. As of now she was still too shaken to really stay focussed anyway, and maybe she'd get the opportunity to ask the Minister about his intentions once she was feeling better and properly processed everything.

Getting through the night in the hospital turned out to be harder than she initially anticipated though, and it took the young woman a lot to not ask one of the nurses if they could give her a Den Den Mushi so she could call her parents for comfort. Being back in a foreign hospital bed, all on her own, just brought back too many painful memories, and that paired with her newly flared up anxieties from being almost killed created a huge feeling of dread within her. It made Michelle super sensitive to everything that happened around her, whether it be a nurse walking up and down the hallway outside of her door or the sound of other patients doing their thing in the rooms next to hers- the young woman instantly jolted up in her bed at every single noise, scared that something might happen to her if she wasn't on high-alert all the time. Michelle felt rather pathetic and kind of embarrassed for being so scared, and eventually she reached the point of it being so bad that she had to ask a nurse for some sleeping pills to get some rest. Luckily the night was over eventually, and the young woman was beyond relieved when the doctor told her that she was allowed to return home the next day. There was nothing she wanted more than to get back to her usual way of living. However, that also proved to be a bit more difficult than than she imagined.

Her almost-murder really shook up Biscuits Island, and for the first time ever, Michelle learned what it meant to be 'the talk of the town'. Although it was no secret that the Big Mom Pirates would often leave a trail of chaos wherever they went, it was extremely rare for their well-protected home country to be under attack. Crimes were rare and aside from the usual petty theft, someone munching on a public building, or the Queen going on a food rampage there was nothing the inhabitants of Tottoland had to fear. The thought of someone attacking an innocent citizen so viciously, almost _killing_ her, sounded absolutely ludicrous until now. People would occasionally whisper in the streets whenever Michelle went outside, and sometimes they'd even point at her, which was something that made the young woman genuinely uncomfortable. She never liked it when people talked about or stared at her, and deep down she just wanted for things to return to normal. Only a day after she got home Michelle already picked up work again as well, and, to her surprise, even Guiseppe seemed to have changed his attitude a bit and took things easier on her because of what had happened.

Being back at work truly proved to be the best way for Michelle to distract herself. In Cracker's kitchen she didn't have to worry about anyone pointing at or talking about her, and it just felt good in general to have something to do again. Of course the Minister also stayed true to his words and filled her in on more details regarding their "date night" during her next few days at his mansion. Appearantly the restaurant they were going to to visit was located in Cookie Town's most upper class district, which just so happened to be pretty close to his mansion. It didn't really come as a surprise to Michelle, she already suspected that the Minister would only dine at the finest and most expensive places when he wasn't served the food that she and Giuseppe were cooking up. And with him being a Commander as well as an important member of the Charlotte Family, the restaurant owner even reached out to him when he booked the table and assured Cracker that he didn't even need to pay during his visit; probably because they were hoping to make a good first impression on the Minister. And since she was his 'consort', Michelle didn't have to spend any money either. That was more than okay with the young woman, who honestly had no desire to blow most of her salary on a luxurious dinner night.

However, there was still something she had to take care of before their 'date'. Although Cracker assured her that it would just be "a simple dinner night", aka nothing too fancy, Michelle was determined and set on not showing up at a 5-star-restaurant with her typical shirts and pants combination. If they were to dine at a refined establishment, then she should at least try to look the part, right? So, two days before the 'date' with the Minister was supposed to take place, she invited Umi on a little shopping spree to search for a nice (but affordable) dress she could wear. At first her friend was pretty doubtful and openly questioned the Minister's intentions, but seeing the excitement on Michelle's face quickly caused Umi to ease off again. She didn't want to ruin her friend's mood, especially after everything that happened; and unlike Panea, Umi also wanted to believe that Michelle knew what she was doing. Together they marched through the many different boutiques of Cookie Town's most livid shopping district, and while they were goofing around with one another they also ended up buying a few more clothes that weren't on their 'to-get' list. Ultimately the duo entered a smaller botique and stumbled upon a light blue evening dress with a simple upper cut that bared Michelle's shoulders and didn't have any visible straps attached to it(*). The skirt part consisted of multiple layers and was a bit longer in the back than in the front, almost creating the illusion of a small tray. Plus, the embroidery on it also helped with making the dress look more elegant and less plain while still not being too pompous, which was exactly what Michelle was looking for. It was love at first sight for the young woman, and she was convinced that the simple yet beautiful dress would be perfect for a dinner night with the Minister. Now that her outfit was taken care of, all that was left for her to worry about on the day of the date was what she would do with her hair and make-up.

Even before the whole murder incident took place, Michelle came to realize that a huge perk of being best friends with the homies in your home was that some of them could actually help with certain things, and getting ready for a date turned out to be one of those. Two hours before the Minister was supposed to pick her up, she, and a few of her household items, sat down in the bathroom to pretty her up. Michelle's hair was rather short, but appearantly still long enough to be put up into a small braid at the back of her head- her broom and cutlery made sure to help her with that, and her mirror assisted her with the her make-up. The young woman didn't want to overdo it and make herself look like a clown (unfortunately that's what usually happened when she played around with make-up), so she just decided to wear a sheer pink lip gloss to make her lips look fuller, a light blush to add warmth to her features, and a bit of eyeshadow and mascara to accentuate her eyes. Once everything was done and she was fully dressed for her date, the cheerful homies hyped her up a bit to take away some of her nervosity, which seemed to work just fine until a knock at the front door interrupted them. **"Oh lord, that must be him!"** Michelle instantly jumped up, checked herself in the mirror one last time and brushed over her dress before she rushed to the door, while the homies continued to yell encouraging words after her. Looks like it was finally time for her date with the Minister to begin!

~*~

Charlotte Cracker wasn't a romantic man, that much was sure. Not that he ever needed to be- all of his previous relationships were nothing but physical anyway and only lasted as long as he was entertained. His reputation and position within his mother's crew was usually enough to impress whatever lady he had his eyes on, so there was never a reason for him to go the extra mile or try and impress his conquests. In his mind, him being who he was was more than enough. So he showed up at Michelle's doorstep wearing his usual attire, only this time with the addition of a shirt to cover his upper body. It wasn't that he didn't like the young woman's occasional company as it was, and a steadily growing part of him was indeed intrigued by Michelle and her weird little antics, but ever since she first opened that pretty mouth of hers and blushed at him, he had one goal and one alone in mind. And tonight, he'd finally start setting his plan into motion.

Spotting his usual toothy grin, Cracker loudly knocked on the door and just a moment later he could already hear her roaming around inside. A low chuckle left his lips and he lazily ran a hand through his dark purple hair while waiting for her to invite him in. Once the door swung open and revealed the nervous-looking young woman, his eyes immediately focussed on her body and looked her up and down. Safe to say, he liked what he saw.

The dress she was wearing fit her body perfectly and succeeded in showing off her curves and especially her long, pale legs- which were undoubtly some of his favorite assets of hers. The subtle smell of a sweet perfume flared up the air around her, almost as if it was an attempt to mask her clearly visible nervosity. He figured that it must have taken her a while to get ready, given that she was even wearing some light make-up and switched up her usual hairstyle to look more elegant. All of this, for **him.** He couldn't stop the arrogant grin that danced on his face as he slowly stepped aside, vacating the doorway and signalling for Michelle to come outside and join him in the cool night of Biscuits Island.

 **"You look marvellous."** he purred and continued to stare, almost wishing she'd do a little twirl for him.

 **"T-Thank you, you look very handsome yourself!"** the young woman replied shyly, partly hiding her face as she mustered the Minister's outfit. This was the first time she saw him wearing a shirt, and never would she have imagined how much more sophisticated and noble Cracker could look, simply by covering his chest. Tonight, he looked like a real fancy gentleman.

 **"You flatter me,"** the Minister teased in response to her compliment before gesturing at the dimly-light streets ahead of them. **"Shall we?"**

After she brushed over her dress again to clean out every last remaining wrinkle, Michelle nodded and quickly stepped outside to join him. 

~*~

However, only a few minutes after they left her house, Michelle's hip started to act up again. Badly. It didn't surprise her, after all the pain was always getting worse at the end of the day. Hence why she normally tried to avoid moving around too much in the evening. The young woman did her best to conceal her limp, but of course it didn't take long until she fell behind and Cracker noticed her pained movements as well.

 **"I'm sorry... It's just- it's so late already, and I usually use that time to rest up for the next day,"** she tried to explain herself, a little embarrassed that she was slowing them down. But instead of joking or making one of his teasing comments, the Minister actually stopped to let her catch up with him, and then held out his hand for her. Confused, Michelle looked from his arm up to his face and back.

 **"Here, maybe this will help. After all, I wouldn't want for my _gorgeous_ company to trip or hurt herself!"** he still had his grin on, but his voice was void of any sign that he was joking.

At first she hesitated, a light red hue quickly appeared on her already blushed cheeks as she eyed his hand. But Michelle couldn't deny that the pain in her hip was only worsening, and with a small and sheepish nod, she grabbed onto his hand for support as they continued their walk through the dimly-lit streets. _Thank god he's wearing his gloves today,_ she thought and briefly stole a few glances of their joined hands, _otherwise he'd probably notice how sweaty mine already are..._ Michelle took a deep breath and tore her gaze from their hands again, choosing to focus on the scenery of a nightly Biscuits Island instead. Aside from a few homies singing their goodnight tunes and the odd citizen still running around, the streets were as good as empty. Pale moonlight as well as the many different colored street-lamps were the only things that illuminated their path, which made Michelle feel as if she was strolling through her very own little fairytale, and she couldn't help but curiously eye her surroundings as if this was her first time in Tottoland again. Thanks to the support of Cracker's hand she managed to relieve some of the pressure in her muscles, and the pain in her hip was starting to get a bit more tolerable again. That plus the beautiful sight of her hometown at night genuinely helped Michelle forget about her previous nervosity and rapid heartbeat, and she continued to hold onto the Minister's hand while a warm smile danced on her lips. Neither one of them felt the need to strike up a conversation, and thus they quietly enjoyed one another's company until they finally arrived at their destination.

Just as Michelle suspected, the restaurant was large, luxurious, and even painted in golden and silver hues rather then the usually more bright and playful colors Tottoland had to offer- basically, it was _exactly_ the type of place she'd expect someone special like the Minister to frequent. And, for some odd reason, looking at the pompous building also brought back some personal memories for Michelle. It reminded her of those fancy places she and her family would occasionally visit whenever her parents struck up a good deal and had some extra money to spend. The only thing that really set this establishment apart from the usual expensive restaurants she knew was its roof, which looked like it was made out of peppermint candy. If she didn't knew any better she'd say the roof almost resembled a circus tent, and that was just about the only Tottoland-esque feature the restaurant had to it. As they were getting closer and closer to the door, one of the waiters that was previously walking around to serve the guests outside recognized the pair- well, or at least he recognized the Minister- and quickly hurried over to greet them and invited them inside. Just as he approached the two Cracker let go of Michelle's hand again and instead signalled her to follow behind him. There was no going back now, and the young woman forced herself to swallow some of her re-rising nervosity before she entered the restaurant after him.

Of course the interior was just as pompous as the exterior, and for a second Michelle even thought that it could potentially put Cracker's mansion to shame. Golden chandeliers were hanging above every single one of the many tables spread around the inside, and as if things couldn't get any more ridiculously expensive, there was even a red carpet rolled out and decorating the middle of the large hall. It was a mystery to her how anyone could afford so much luxury, and once again the young woman felt glad that she didn't have to spend any money during this visit. For all she knew, this dinner night might have just cost her a month's salary otherwise. The waiter quickly led them to a table at the far-end of the restaurant, which was decorated with even more expensive looking decor, including golden flower pots filled with jewel-adorned plants, and Michelle guessed that this whole display of whacky riches was probably just an effort to impress the Minister. However the one thing that really caught her attention when they reached the table was that instead of there being two chairs standing at each side of it there was only one single bench at the front, which meant that she and Cracker would have to sit right besides each other. This was certainly not something she had expected. Who's idea was it to give them a table that forced them to be so close? Not to mention that the Minister alone was big enough to take up more than three quarters of the bench, so unless she wanted to sit in his lap or constantly rub against him, Michelle would most likely need to sit at the very edge of it. Seriously...

As they took their seats next to one another, she made sure to keep a respectful distance to the Minister so their bodies wouldn't accidentally touch. Cracker of course noticed her awkward shifting and let out a small chuckle in response, before he sat down as well and turned to the waiter to start ordering some drinks and food.

And much to Michelle's surprise, it turns out that this luxurious restaurant was actually supposed to be a _family_ restaurant rather than some expensive establishment for rich people (or couples) to throw out their money and feel good about themselves. Instead of ordering food individually, you were supposed to pick a "plate" for you and your companion to share. So not only was she sitting right next to the Commander, she was also expected to eat from the _same plate_ as him. _Welp, so much for this being a dignified evening together..._

For some reason the Minister didn't seem to care about that at all though. Without even giving his date a chance to glance at the menu, he picked out a dish for them and then instantly moved on to the selection of wines, visibly eager to get some alcoholic beverages on the table.

 **"A good way to start off this evening, wouldn't you agree?"** he mused and turned to Michelle as he pointed at- you guessed it- the most expensive wine depicted on the menu card. The young woman however wasn't too sure about that.

 **"My Lord, I don't know if that's the wisest thing for me to do,"** she replied, her gaze trailing to the side since she didn't want to face Cracker as she was rejecting his proposal, **"you know I have to work tomorrow, and I wouldn't want to enter your kitchen with a hangover."** _besides, Giuseppe would never let me hear the end of it,_ she added in thoughts, and her face slightly scrunched up at the mental image of the mink scolding her.

Cracker though simply clicked his tongue in response, and for some reason an impatient expression spread across his face.

 **"Looks like Giuseppe didn't tell you yet, huh? Figures. There's no need for you to worry about work,"** he explained and started tapping his fingertips against the table, **"I'll be heading out on a longer mission tomorrow morning, which means that you'll be on vacation for a few days."**

 **"O-Oh, I see! I wasn't aware of that,"** _goddammit Giuseppe! You need to tell me stuff like that!_ Michelle cursed inwardly before she looked back at the Minister and forced a smile to her lips, **"I... I guess that would make it okay then."**

 **"That's the spirit, little one! Tonight is for us, so let's make sure to enjoy ourselves as much as we desire."** his voice slightly dipped and turned more deep at the end, but Michelle was too busy with worrying about her low alcohol tolerance now to notice.

 **"Sure, S-Sir!"** she nodded nervously and Cracker briefly smirked at her before he pointed out the wine to the waiter and send him away to take care of their orders.

And thus, their evening together truly began.

~*~

Michelle was just as excited as she was anxious, which caused their initial conversations to be mostly light and short. Like always when she was in the presence of the Minister, the brunette stumbled over her words and found it difficult to express herself with the same confidence he always seemed to possess. But then the wine arrived. Due to how nervous she was Michelle emptied her first glass in a matter of seconds, and once the alcohol started to seep into her system she was more relaxed and comfortable with talking about stuff, much to Cracker's amusement. Soon enough they started to chat about all sorts of things, starting by the usual stuff like Tottoland's weather and Cracker's minister duties, until the conversation eventually shifted and was more about the young woman and her life on Biscuits Island. But despite feeling a little tipsy already, she was still slightly hesitant to openly talk about herself at first. Cracker though seemed genuinely interested and urged her to tell him more; he even filled up her glass a few more times to get her to loosen up. And thus it didn't take long until Michelle found herself raving on and on about her life at sea before she arrived at Tottoland- and much to her surprise, that seemed to be something she and Cracker had in common. She had no idea what his life prior to being a Minister was like, so when he told her that he also spend the first few years of his childhood on a ship with his ever-growing family, she couldn't help but gawk and look at him as if he just told her he was a secret agent for the World Government. It never crossed her mind that they might have had a somewhat similiar childhood, and for some reason it made Michelle feel... more connected to him. If she could she would have asked him a few more questions about his earlier life, but Cracker suddenly seemed rather uninterested in pursuing that topic, and instead he continued to ask about her life and hobbies again.

It didn't take long until their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the food- or rather, the arrival of their shared jumbo plate. And, true to its name, the dish was seriously _humongous._ The platter it was served on was as big as the table's surface, and it had so much food stacked ontop of it that Michelle thought it could probably last them a whole week, if not even longer. All sorts of still steaming meat, skewers, and roasted vegetables were laid out infront of them, along with a large pan filled with a dark brown sauce placed at the side, probably to serve as dip. Literally the only thing that sort of reassured her was that there were no noodles in sight. In Michelle's opinion, that would have been a nightmare. Sharing a plate of meat with the Minister was one thing, but a plate of spaghetti? _Oh,_ she read enough badly written romance novels to know where _that_ would have led. Not to mention that slurping noodles might have just put her at a higher risk of getting messy and potentially embarrassing herself. So, not having to worry about that was a big relief for her. 

While Michelle was still lost in her thoughts about spaghetti, Cracker seemingly decided that he didn't want to give the food a moment to cool down, and with a gleeful expression on his face he immediately picked up his cutlery and started eating. The sound of him chewing on the meat snapped the young woman back into reality, however she couldn't stop herself from eyeing the plate with doubt, unsure on where to even start. _This is so much! How are we supposed to eat all of this?_ she gulped, and the hesitant look on her face didn't go unnoticed by her company.

 **"Well? Aren't you going to start eating, little one? Or... are you waiting for my permission?"** Cracker teased which made her pout, now slightly offended.

 **"N-No! I don't need permission,"** she cleared her throat and finally picked up a small chicken nugget with her fork, before adding in a more snarky tone; **"I know it may seem as if I'm totally gullible and easy to influence, but I'm moooore than capable of making my own decisions and being my own person! Yeah!"** Michelle was trying to sound confident and sure of herself, but thanks to all the wine she already drank her voice sounded a bit more slurrish and caused Cracker to snicker.

**"Oho, I see how it is! Yes, you are certainly able to make your own decisions- just like a few days ago, when you hid an egg in Giuseppe's apron pocket, am I right?"**

Michelle coughed awkwardly when her prank from last week was suddenly brought up. Not wanting to look at him, she turned her head to the side and swiftly took another sip from her wine.

**"HE- well, he had that one coming!"**

**"How so?"** Cracker inquired, his hand rested against his elbow while his fingers played around with the fork, as if he was contemplating on what piece of meat he should eat next.

 **"Uhm, you see, Mister Giuseppe never respects me, so I decided to pay him back!"** the young woman declared, **"I-I mean, it's okay if he doesn't like me, but he doesn't need to look down on me all the time! It's the same with Miss Panea, I know she just wanted to help me with the job but she did so without notifying me because she was convinced that she already knew what's best for me,"** she sighed and put her glass down, **"it reminded me of when I used to sail around with my parents and always had to do what they told me... and... well, now that I think about it... you're not so different either, right?"**

Perhaps the alcohol was causing her to be more bold and stupid, because under normal circumstances Michelle never would have dared to voice her concerns regarding the Minister's treatment of her. And as expected, Cracker didn't seem to appreciate that last comment. His grin slightly twitched as he put down his fork and leaned closer, now visibly more interested in what Michelle had to say than continuing to devour his food.

**"What?"**

The young woman immediately gulped and scooted back a bit, already regretting her previous remark.

 **"I just... I feel as if you... you don't really think I can take care of myself."** although she was intimidated by how close he was, Michelle figured that it might be for the best to just admit the truth now that she had already started to stir the pot, **"O-Of course I'm still beyond grateful for what you did for me that day when I got attacked, really! You saved my life,"** she couldn't help but flinch a bit at the memory, **"but before that... I always felt as if I'm just... some weird source of entertainment for you."**

Cracker seemed to think about that for a moment.

 **"Well but you can't deny that you are pretty entertaining, little one."** he replied with a teasing but still somewhat tense grin. His answer didn't quite please the young woman though, who thought that he might not understand what she was trying to say.

 **"That's not what I meant! Argh, okay. Let me try to phrase it differently,"** she took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling to sort her thoughts, which turned out to be rather difficult given how dizzy and clouded her mind already was, **"ever since we first met... I felt as if you tried to... watch over me."** Michelle finally admitted, but now that she said it out loud, she felt pretty stupid for coming up with such an assumption. _Jesus, why did I say it like that? 'I feel as if you're watching over me'... that sounds so pretentious! He's gonna laugh! He's gonna laugh at me! Oh no, I'm just gonna make a fool out of myself again-_

But much to her surprise Cracker made no attempt to deny her thoughts, and instead the tall man looked her right in the eyes with a curious expression.

**"...And you don't think there's a reason for that?"**

Her eyes instantly widened, she genuinely didn't expect him to confirm her thoughts. _Aha! So he was doing this on purpose after all?!_ Michelle started to shift around next to him, carefully thinking about her next words. _Okay girl, you got it. You're still good. Just ask him. Ask him what you always wanted to know-_

 **"I did think about that,"** she nodded sheepishly, her finger tracing over the edge of her wine glass, **"But I guess I just don't see what's so special about me... or what would cause you to be so interested in me."** not that she really minded it that much... after all, the Minister could be very pleasant company- when he dropped his arrogant persona, that is.

 **"You want to know why I'm interested in you? Mh... well, allow me to ask you something,"** Cracker hummed and leaned in a bit closer, **"Do you not think of yourself as desirable?"**

Heat rushed to her cheeks at the implications of his question, and without much of a second thought Michelle violently shook her head. **"N-No, that's not- I-..."** fishing for the right words, she once again found herself unable to focus properly. And the fact that the Minister got her thinking about her sex appeal now genuinely didn't help.

The young woman forced herself to take a deep breath, and as she was doing her best to ignore his previous question and how much it flustered her, she continued voicing her doubts.

**"First of all, I figured you would have forgotten me... we only met for a brief time and then didn't see each other for a few weeks, after all. Secondly- you're a Commander! Of course I'm wondering why someone as infamous as you would want to spend your time with someone like me!"**

**"Mhh, perhaps I did forgot about you for a while,"** he admitted bluntly and then started to snicker, **"but seeing your picture pop up on my desk might have jogged my memory quite a bit."**

Michelle was visibly unsatisfied with that 'explanation' and raised an eyebrow at him, which caused Cracker to sigh and lean back a bit.

 **"Let me tell you something. Moving to my Island, accepting my job offer, coming with me tonight...as you said earlier, those were all your decisions, not mine,"** his usual grin quickly returned before he added, **"admittedly, I pushed you into the right direction a little, but I don't mind doing some pushing when my reward will be sweet in the end."**

He picked up his fork again to get a piece of meat from the corner of the plate, and it looked as if he was done with the conversation. But Michelle wasn't. _He just... Why does he keep avoiding my question? Why can't he just tell me why he's so keen on having me around?_ There was something he wasn't telling her, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

**"Why did you really offer me to work for you?"**

That question seemed to be one he didn't expect. Slightly surprised, Cracker stopped what he was doing and put down his fork to look at her once more.

 **"I'd like to believe that you did it out of the goodness of your heart, but that's probably the furthest from the truth, isn't it?"** Michelle had to slightly bit down on her tongue, once again she felt as if she was crossing a line by openly question the Minister's motives, but at this point she figured that it was no use to just dance around the topic anymore. If she wanted a genuine answer, she would need to be blunt. Just like he usually was.

Cracker however didn't seem to like how she was prying at him, and although his grin was still intact he started to look at her with a more impatient and almost annoyed expression now.

**"Heh, what are you trying to imply? I mean you proved that you've taken a liking to me first- why else would you choose my Island after our encounter? You were basically coming to me... and no man with common sense would let an opportunity like that slip by."**

_Ah- so me moving here inflated his ego._ she thought and already opened her mouth to reply again, but Cracker wasn't done yet.

 **"A pretty young girl who has nothing and no one to hold onto here... oblivious to the danger and power I hold... Pah, of course I couldn't just let you be, I'm not a fool! And as a matter of fact, you should feel honored that I was willing to take you under my wing and guide you so far,"** his voice suddenly sounded more threatening, it was obvious that she pushed him a bit too far this time. The Minister was now looming over her like a large shadow and continued to move closer until their bodies were barely touching, which forced her to scoot backwards on the small bench in order to keep her distance. He was all in her face and the way he looked at her made the brunette feel like a trapped animal that was about to be devoured.

 **"Tell me, _Michelle,_ would you like me to guide you some more? Oh, there are so many fun things I could teach you! Even right now, here in this restaurant, there is something I can think of..."** Cracker's grin was so wide that he reminded her of a cheshire cat described in one of her childhood books, and Michelle immediately picked up on the underlying excitement in his voice and forced herself to look down, her fingers tightly grasping at the fabric of her dress. This wasn't what she had expected. Not at all. _Did he just admit that he wanted to-_ she swallowed hard as panic overcame her. The young woman hastily looked around the table, searching for something to distract him, and all of her previous desire to get answers from the Minister was gone. If this was the direction this was going in... no. She nearly didn't have enough to drink for that yet. 

Right now, all she wanted was to escape from this conversation.

 **"Ehm... Oh no, look! I think t-the food is turning cold! We should probably talk about this some other time and... continue eating now!"** she suddenly blurted out in an obvious attempt to switch his attention onto something else.

Cracker eyed her for a few more moment and then simply shrugged, seemingly complying, but the predatory grin remained on his face. **"As you wish."**

Although the tension in the air was still undeniable, Michelle was now actively trying to continue dinner without having any more weird conversations, _especially_ ones like this. Admittedly, she was the one who started it, but Cracker choose to shift the tone into something more 'suggestive', which inevitable made her feel overwhelmed and she just didn't quite know how to respond to that stuff. 

Unfortunately though her plan to focus on the food and forget about their previous interaction didn't really work. There were two things in particular that kept Michelle from going back to a normal evening: **One,** the Minister was continuing to get closer and closer to her. Whenever she would reach for something on the plate he suddenly decided to take something from the very same corner, causing their fingers and hands to touch or brush against each other ever so often. While Michelle would immediately pull back, visibly flustered, he simply chuckled and continued with what he was doing. That whole process repeated itself until the brunette decided to wait for him to put food into his mouth so she could sneakily grab something for herself while he was busy eating. This was _by far_ the most stressful dinner she ever had.

But there was **another** thing that bothered her: the way the Minister was eating. Like a starving kid, Cracker suddenly started to mindlessly shovel food into his mouth, not caring about the mess he was creating. Sauce and food was flying everything, at some point a piece of meat even hit her dress, and in order to blend it all out Michelle drank more and more wine until she didn't care anymore. The Minister was an eager eater, that's true, but never before did she witness him devour his food in such a wild manner. So it came as no surprise that eventually, he had a large drop of sauce stuck to his cheek. Michelle didn't immediately say something about it since she had no desire to come across as rude or stir up another weird conversation, but no matter how much alcohol she consumed, that sight was just something she couldn't ignore. _Did he **seriously** not notice this?!_

For a short period of time she tried to focus on her own food and forget about it, hoping the Minister would figure it out by himself and just clean it off. But whenever her gaze shifted back to his soiled face, the drop of sauce was still there. Michelle didn't know why it was bothering her so much, but soon enough she couldn't take it anymore and decided to bring it to his attention.

Clearing her throat, she pointed at his face, her finger slightly panning from side to side because of how drunk she already was. **"Sir, I'm... I'm afraid you got something stuck to your cheek."**

 **"Mh? Do I now?"** Cracker sounded unusually oblivious- almost as if he had no clue what she was talking about- which was something Michelle seriously struggled to believe, **"well, I'm a little busy here. Why don't you get it for me?"** he suggested and glanced at the young woman from the side, before picking up another piece of meat from the plate.

At any normal day her cheeks would have exploded and she would have stammered up one of her poor excuses- but today, none of that happened. Most likely because she was too drunk to care, Michelle just shrugged with her shoulders and then lazily nodded her head.

 **"Alriiiight,"** she lulled and dropped her own fork before grabbing a napkin and scooting closer to the Minister. Given their difference in height however, there was no way she could have reached his face without either climbing into his lap or getting him to lean down for her, and he made no attempt to do the latter. So in order to get to his dirtied cheek, the young woman had to carefully navigate between his legs and lift herself on the bench with her knees. The alcohol in her system was making it more difficult for her to keep her balance, and thus Michelle was forced to hold onto his shoulder for support while she wiped his cheek clean. It was quite the hassle, but once the sauce was all gone, a proud smile appeared on her lips and she gave him a strong nod.

 **"Theeere we go! All done!"** she exclaimed in a chipper tone, but when she tried to pull back and climb down again, Cracker suddenly grabbed her by the arm to keep her in place.

Confused, the young woman looked from the hand that was grabbing her to his face, and it was then that Michelle finally realized just how close they were. She must have leaned in a bit too much when she cleaned his cheek, because their faces were only a few inches apart! Slowly but surely the fog that was clouding her mind lifted, and the more she looked at him the more aware she was of the situation. But wait- was it just her imagination, or was the distance between them actually decreasing? She blinked in surprise and then it finally hit her- Cracker was not just holding onto her arm, he was _pulling her closer!_ A moment later their noses slightly touched and Michelle immediately tried to turn her head away, but the Minister just grabbed her chin with his other hand and kept her turned towards him. His gaze was hazy and half-lidded, and what looked like a knowing smirk tugged at his lips. Realizing what was about to happen, Michelle's own eyes widened and she stared at the man with both disbelief as well as shock. 

**"Sir Cracker, I don't-"**

**"You know, I think you can drop the Sir from here on out, Michelle."** he cut her off with a husky whisper, and the smell of alcohol in his breath hit her face. She wanted to shake her head, ask him about what he was doing- but then he closed the gap between them in one swift, simple motion.

It took her a moment to register what he just did. Her brain basically rebooted and the small wheels in her mind stopped turning for a moment. Michelle's whole body was trembling as she stared at the Minister's now closed eyes.

The spell that the wine cast on her was suddenly gone and the clear feeling of what was happening hit her with full intensitiy.

She had been kissed before, but never like this. Not only was Cracker a lot bigger than her and therefore his mouth completely enveloped hers, but the way he was holding her, so teasingly yet dominant, send shivers down her spine. His strong hands playfully ran up her arms to hold onto her shoulders and then they trailed back down, rubbing over her skin and keeping her in place.

His lips were warm and a little chapped from the wine, tasting like food as well as alcohol. Cracker's smell was a bit harder to describe, especially if you consider how overwhelmed Michelle's senses already were. To her, he smelled sweet like cookies but also harsh like steel, with a certain leathery accent mixed in as well. If she had to describe his scent in one single word, it would be _manly._ And right now, his taste and smell just made her even weaker in his embrace. 

For a few more moments her eyes kept fluttering open and thoughts of how wrong this was ran wild in her mind, but then Michelle too succumbed to the rush of feelings and finally closed her eyes to take in the moment. It wasn't like she could stop it anyway, so... she might as well give in, right?

She remained still and a little stiff as Cracker pulled her against his chest, his two large hands eventually cupped her cheeks to keep her in place while his lips melted into hers more and more. Everything felt so surreal to the young woman, and as of now it wasn't just the alcohol that caused her lightheadedness anymore. Never, _in her wildest imaginations,_ would she have expected to find herself in this situation. Sitting in the Minister's lap, his hands holding and teasing her body as he passionately kissed her. But even though it was wrong and she knew it, there was no way she could resist this. A new feeling stirred up within her- one that was so _warm,_ so _inviting,_ and before she knew it, Michelle began to return the kiss and placed a hand ontop of Cracker's- the one that was still pressed against her cheek- while her body moved against his chest.

But just as she was getting more comfortable, the feeling of something large and wet squirming against her mouth caused her to squeak in surprise, and if it wasn't for the fact that Cracker was still holding her in place, she probably would have pulled away right then and there. But since she was unable to do so, she had to remain still and face the feeling of the Minister's tongue licking over her lips like some squishy snake, eventually prodding at her mouth to ask for entry. But Michelle kept her mouth shut, she didn't like this new wet sensation at all. Realizing that she wouldn't give in so easily, Cracker started to become a little bit more forceful- he pressed his hand against the back of her head to push her closer and also started to lightly chew on her bottom lip, hoping to coax her into opening her mouth for him. Michelle remained stubborn though and still refused to part her lips, instead she made some gestures to signal him that she needed air. And a moment later, after he dragged his tongue over her mouth one last time, he released her from his hold. 

While Michelle was trying to catch her breath she briefly caught sight of Cracker licking over his lips as if he was savoring her taste or something; a sight that made her turn her head to the side before she climbed out of his lap and plopped down on the bench next to him. She didn't notice it while they were embracing one another, but heart was beating so fast she feared it might burst out of her chest.

 _Did they-_ **yeah.** They just... kissed. _That's what happened._ They kissed, in a public restaurant. She kissed the Minister. No- _actually,_ **the Minister** kissed _her._

The young woman rubbed her lips together, unsure on how to proceed. His taste and smell was still lingering and clouded her senses. And even though they seperated, that warm feeling from before was still burning bright within her. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe they were both getting... weird because of the alcohol. _Right?_ That had to be it. The alcohol was to blame. _Yes._ The Minister would never do something like this unless he was absolutely drunk. _Definitely!_ Maybe the alcohol... was also the reason why Michelle was silently hoping he would pull her closer and kiss her again-

For a quick second she sneakily glanced up at the Minister, almost expecting him to hover infront of her face again, eager to continue where they left off- but alas, Cracker made no attempt to do that, and it left Michelle rather bewildered. He just tried to make out with her, but now he was back to picking up his fork and eating food as if nothing happened...? _What kind of - **what kind of logic was that?!**_

The brunette was certain that she couldn't get back to eating, not now that adrenaline was still vividly running through her veins. Something like this _never_ happened to her before, she _never_ had someone kiss her so intensly, and maybe it was due to her new-found curiosity and inexperience that she... wanted more. In that moment Michelle decided to just push all of her doubts and rationality out of the window, the only thing that she could focus on right now was the burning feeling in her chest. Once more she forced herself to look up at Cracker, maybe a bit more desperate than planned, and softly cleared her throat to get his attention again.

**"Mh?"**

At first he didn't seem to pay her much mind- but a good look at her rosy cheeks, half-lidded gaze, and slightly parted lips that were still glossy from when he caressed them with his own was enough to get Cracker's full attention. Once she was certain that the Minister was completely focussed on her and nothing else, Michelle slightly batted her eyelashes like she read in some of her library's weird romance novels, and scooted closer. Out of respect she was still making sure not to directly touch him, but the urge to have his hands on her was so undeniably strong that she had to keep herself from straight out leaping into his lap.

 **"Do- do you think you could do that again?"** she finally asked and tried to put on her most 'seductive' expression, hoping that it wasn't making her look completely ridiculous right now.

 **"Mh? And just what do you mean by 'that'?"** he purred in response and put his fork back down. Obviously Cracker knew what she meant, but he wanted her to spell it out for him. Of course. 

**"Could you- please kiss me again!"** Michelle blurted out without any second thought, and right after the last word left her lips, she was pulled back into his lap and his lips crashed against hers once more. His harsh action earned him a surprised yelp from the young woman, but just a moment later she leaned into him, this time even raising her shaking arms to rest on his large shoulders for support.

In a matter of seconds his tongue was running over her lips again, but this time Michelle didn't mind the wet intruder. In fact, she was sort of curious to know what would happen if she gave in... So she slightly opened her mouth, allowing him light access, which he immediately made use of. His large wet muscle snaked past her lips and went right for her tongue, rubbing and pressing against it as if he was trying to get her to do the same. Their kiss was a lot more wild and unhinged this time, with weird and needy noises constantly escaping from the both of them. The sound of Cracker groaning against her lips almost made Michelle shiver with excitement, and the vibrations it send down her spine caused her whole body tremble.

Once she was feeling a bit bolder and unable to keep her hands to herself, the young woman began to mimic his previous actions and ran her hands over his clothed chest and exposed arms to get a better feel of him. His skin was incredibly hot under her fingertips, and for a moment Michelle feared that all of the alcohol and passion was giving him a fever. Her reciprocating his affections had a strong effect on Cracker, who was getting even more zealous and used one of his hands to loosen the braid at the back of her head so he could run his fingers through her hair.

The next time they parted, a small string of saliva was connecting their mouths, and Michelle's as well as Cracker's cheeks were completely flushed. Whereas Michelle took a few seconds to catch her breath, he already pressed his lips against her cheek again, slowly trailing them over her skin until they reached her ear.

 **"Maybe we should head somewhere more... private. What do you say?"** he whispered into her ear, and this time she could clearly smell the alcohol in his breath. Slowly but surely, the young woman was feeling more aware of what was happening. His lips barely brushed against the shell of her ear before they wandered down, choosing to press against her neck instead. Okay, this was exciting, but it wasn't good, was it? He might be making her feel certain things right now, but they were still in a public place- _plus,_ she didn't actually have a desire to take things further than kissing, right? She didn't want him to continue, _right?_

_Not like this..._ the young woman thought as some clarity returned to her senses, and for a moment she felt a tinge of regret for letting herself go like this. _For god's sake, I'm never gonna touch any alcohol again...._

 **"N-No, I don't think that's a good idea."** she whimpered as he started to massage her back and inhaled sharply when his hand slide down and crept underneath her dress. That seemed to fully snap her back into reality.

**"Sir- uhm, I mean _Cracker!_ I-I don't feel so well. Please, I think I should go home..."**

Her words caused him to pause for a moment, but before Michelle could breath a sigh of relief, she felt him smirk against her skin.

**"Your home or mine?"**

_Oh god-_

**"Mine!"** she half-said half-gasped.

Cracker continued to run his lips over her neck and pressed a few more butterfly kisses to her skin before he let out a long, audibly disappointed sigh and pulled away.

**"Fine. Just let me get the waiter so he can clean up our table, and then we can leave."**

That more than resonated with Michelle, and she eagerly nodded her head before he could change his mind. 

While the young woman was busy brushing over her dress and adjusting her hair to make sure that she looked okay and not as if she just had the hands of _the most influental man of the island_ all over her, Cracker eyed her from the side for a few more moments, a self-assured grin played on his lips and he quietly chuckled to himself;

**"This evening was a lot more fun than I anticipated..."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(*) The dress Michelle choose to wear for the date: https://imgur.com/M3R88XL**
> 
> Ok this took a bit longer than planned because _oh boy,_ was I terrified of writing that kiss scene x'D I know it came out of the blue, but that was sort of the plan!!! I mean Cracker of course had his own ideas when he invited Michelle to the restaurant, and _yes,_ him getting sauce on his cheek so she would come closer and try to help him miiiight have been one of them x''D Also this is over 9000 words long I wanna cry when I started working on the draft I was like "yeah this won't be more than 5000 words!" look at where we are now aaaaaaaa.
> 
> The next chapter will include a few scenes from Cracker's pov to clear up some stuff I left ambiguous until now~ It'll also mark the end of the first part of this story (there are 4 altogether!) so,,,, it might be a big one again x'D
> 
> Unfortunately though I currently have some problems with my eyes/sight (got a bad allergic reaction and need to see the doctor again this week), hence why I had to take so many breaks while writing this. Sitting infront of a monitor for too long really strains my eyes and makes me tired, so I can't make any promises for when I get to the next chapter yet :( First I want to see if everything's ok with my sight and just take things easy until my appointment with the doc. I hope you all understand and thank you so much for reading this (horny) mess lolololol, see you next time~!


	11. And that makes us...? Part 2

It wasn't until the two left the restaurant and entered the cold night that the after-effect of the alcohol fully hit Michelle. The sudden temperature shift instantly made her feel sick, and although she didn't feel nauseous during the entire evening, she was now at the verge of throwing up. To make matters worse her head also started to spin as she followed Cracker outside, and when he stopped to let her catch up she almost tumbled into the tall man.

Michelle managed to step back at the very last second, almost stumbling over her own two feet while a slightly overwhelmed and scared look further emphasized her young features. **"Sorry sorry... gotta get used to the fresh air first..."** she said in a flustered tone, her body swaying back and forth as she was still trying to regain her balance.

Cracker eyed her with mild alert and offered his hand again, which Michelle eagerly took advantage of. But instead of gently grasping it like she did earlier, she choose to tightly cling onto his whole lower arm this time. By now everything around her was spinning and she could barely stand on her feet, let alone walk by herself. That much was obvious, even to Cracker, but the Minister still tried to take a few steps forward in hopes that letting her hold onto his arm might offer some stability and help her- but alas, it was to no avail. Michelle was basically dangling on his arm like a lump of dead meat, and he quickly came to the conclusion that this wasn't going to work. With a slightly annoyed sigh, Cracker bent down to pick her up and kept her body pressed close to his chest so she wouldn't accidentally slip, and his hand grasped her behind to keep her in place. It sorta looked like how a parent would carry a small child. As he lifted her body he noticed how limp she felt, just like that day when she got attacked, and he mentally cursed himself for not stopping her after her third glass of wine. He had no idea that the alcohol would have such a bad after-effect on her. Back at the restaurant she was so giggly and happy and they had a great time together, but now it looked as if a gust of wind was enough to sweep the young woman off her feet. 

The only good thing was that the streets were completely empty now, so he at least didn't need to worry about someone seeing them. 

They reached her house a lot quicker than when they head out to the restaurant, mostly due to the fact that Michelle's bad hip didn't slow them down this time. Although Cracker had initially planned to ask her if she'd like to spend the rest of the night with him, a look at her more than tired face was enough to tell him that it probably wouldn't be such a smart idea. 

Luckily the young woman was finally starting to feel a bit better again, and even though the fresh air really took a toll on her at first, it now looked as if she had gotten used to it. Still, Cracker made sure to be careful when he put her back down and kept holding onto her until her feet fully touched the ground and she was standing safely. Her body was still swaying back and forth a little, but she already looked far less sickly than when they first left the restaurant. _Good._

As if she just woke up from a long nap, Michelle blinked a few times and looked around their surroundings with confusion until she realized that they were standing infront of her house. To her it felt as if they just left the restaurant a second ago, and now she was already back home. It was a surprise, but considering her current state, also sort of a relief. Never before did she feel so happy to see the familiar aquamarine blue roof and candy-stained windows. Thoughts of her warm bed waiting for her flooded her mind and with what sounded like a grateful squeal she turned around to look up at the Minister. **"Thank you for- uh- bringing me back, Cracker! Tonight was.... well... special!"** a tired yet goofy smile appeared on Michelle's lips and she reached out to shake his hand, but when she wanted to let go and turn around, he gently held onto her wrist and pulled her closer again.

 **"What, I'm not getting a reward for carrying you all this way? Not even a goodbye kiss?"** Cracker asked mockingly hurt, **"I'll be leaving for a long and dangerous mission tomorrow, my dear- don't you think you could at least provide me with some... motivation?"**

At first she looked at him with confusion, but then it dawned on her. **"A kiss? Again? ...well, I-I guuuess I could do that,"** Michelle lulled as she clumsily leaned forward and almost stumbled face-first into his groin, but Cracker caught her just in time and with a chuckle he leaned down to seal her lips with his once again.

...And thus they embraced one another for a few more minutes, basically until Michelle almost passed out from how tired and drunk she was. At first Cracker thought that she was simply leaning into his embrace because of how much she adored the kiss, and for a moment he contemplated asking her if she'd like him to stay with her after all, but then he realized that the reason why she was so relaxed in his arms wasn't that she was feeling good, but rather that she was starting to fall asleep- right in the middle of their kiss. A disappointed groan left him as he pulled away from Michelle's lips, his hands continued to hold onto her while he straightened his back and then scooped the half-asleep young woman up in his arms again, walked over to the door, and carried her inside.

Most of her furniture was already asleep at that time, and the few objects that were still awake and waiting for their mistress' return either cowered in fear or just stared at the Minister with disbelief as he carried Michelle up the stairs and into the bedroom.

It was the first time that Cracker entered her bedroom, and similiar to her house's front door he basically had to duck in order to get inside. The room was just the right size for an average woman like Michelle, but to a huge guy like him it was almost like a cage. Her bed was of course no different- _she_ might be able to sleep in it without any difficulties, but he would probably crush it if he tried to do the same. So even if Michelle wasn't as drunk as she was and agreed to 'share her bed with him', it wouldn't have worked anyway. _Oh well._ He figured they'd have to safe that for an evening at his mansion then. Cracker quickly crossed the room and gently laid her down before tugging at the sheets to cover her body, ignoring the fact that she was still fully dressed. The steady rising and falling of her chest and the fact that she wasn't responding to anything he was doing anymore quickly made him realize that she must have fallen asleep while he carried her inside. Either that, or she passed out from the alcohol.

 _I guess letting her rest a bit is for the best,_ he thought to himself and hesitated for a moment before he sat down next to her, causing the bed to dangerously sink in and groan under his weight. He brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and examined her sleeping expression, quietly admiring how young and peaceful she looked. Looking at her now almost made it hard to believe that she was ferociously making out with him not even an hour ago. Well, _almost._ Her make-up was a little smudged and the braid at the back of her head was partly loosened, and with a few soft tucks Cracker completely opened it for her. _That should make sleeping more comfortable,_ he mused, watching as her light-brown locks fell free and framed her face like they usually would. A content grin made its way to his lips, and he continued to stay with her for a bit longer before he got up to leave.

~*~

**Cracker's POV**

The Minister returned to his mansion in an unusually chipper mood, which didn't go unnoticed by the few Chess Soldiers that were forced to stay up in order to greet him. It was late and most of them expected the Commander to look worn out or even tired, but instead they were greeted by the sight of Cracker with his chest out and a beaming, prideful grin on his face. He looked as if he just won the jackpot.

Ignoring the questioning looks on his servants' faces, the Minister strutted through his mansion with large steps; passing by the kitchen, dining room and office until he reached his private quarters. While humming happily, he first entered his bathroom and peeled out of his clothes before he turned on the faucet of his large, porcelain bathtub. The sound of running water quickly drowned out his humming, but Cracker didn't care. His mind was too occupied with other things. While the bathtub was getting filled up he walked over to the mirror to get a quick look at his face. The sight of his large and unsightly scar immediately caught his eyes and he scoffed a little, but then his gaze trailed down, ignoring any visible signs of aging on its way, and stopped at his mouth. He could basically still taste Michelle's lips on his. The corners of his mouth curled upwards into a toothy grin as he recalled their little make-out session at the restaurant.

_Yes, tonight was a full success._

The large man hummed contendly and then sighed with delight as he slowly glided into the now half-filled bathtub, careful not to slip in too deep so the water wouldn't drain him. As Devil Fruit user he always needed to be extra careful with that. And although it was late and he had a large mission tomorrow, he found himself too excited to call it a day just yet. His thoughts were still circling around one thing and one thing alone- the young woman he spend the evening with.

Cracker couldn't quite wrap his finger around it, but being with Michelle felt... rejuvenating, in a way.

And tonight, he savored every single moment with her. One thing he especially adored was when she was finally getting more bold- it showed a different side to her other than the shy and constantly confused woman he knew. He remembered how enthusiastically she was talking about herself, which in return made him feel excited as well, and soon enough he was gearing up to set his plan into motion by dropping the first few flirts. But then Michelle started asking questions again. That sort of killed the mood and frankly, annoyed him a bit. Cracker never liked it when someone wanted him to justify himself, especially on a night that was meant to be... well, 'spicy'. Luckily though he managed to get her to stop by dropping some more than suggestive comments and taking on a more intimidating stance. However, it'd be a lie to say that he wasn't inwardly groaning because of her accusations.

Sighing, Cracker moved on from that memory and his thoughts wandered back to the moment that made this evening so memorable- their first kiss. For a few weeks now he'd been curious about what it would be like to kiss her. How it might feel to have her in his arms, trembling with desire. He already knew that she probably had little to no experience when it came to that sort of thing, which made it even more excited to him. And, much to Cracker's pleasant surprise, she was actually quite the good kisser. The taste of her lips, the feeling of her small body pressed against him, the way her hands held onto his shoulders as if he was the only thing that could keep her grounded... it was intoxicating. Even more so than the wine. And if she didn't ask him for a second kiss, he probably would have pulled her close and ravished her in that restaurant regardless. Or he might have taken her to his home. Well, that was his original plan after all- he wanted to have a nice evening, give her a taste of what he had in store for her, and then seal the deal in his bedroom.

But that would need to be saved for a later point.

 **"I wonder,"** Cracker hummed as his cheeks turned a slightly deeper color, from both the high humidity as well as his slightly arousing thoughts, **"how will she behave while I'm out on my mission? Will those next few days fuel her desire or create a certain... longing for me? Hehe, it definitely would be interesting to see her take some initiative again..."** his grin widened as he remembered how Michelle asked, basically begged him for another kiss when he pretended to ignore her. He'd love to see her act like that and be a bit more bold more often. Closing his eyes and with a content smile on his lips, Cracker sighed and further sunk into the tub, imagining the young woman beside him. 

~*~

Just as expected, Michelle woke up with the worst hangover imagineable next morning. Her head was spinning a little and the nauseous feeling, albeit less strong, was still there, signalling that her body hasn't fully processed all of the alcohol yet. In fact it was so bad that she didn't even feel strong enough to get up. If her parents could see her now they would probably scold her for overdoing it, and then bring her some warm towels and watch over her while she was resting up. But unfortunately, they weren't here. She'd have to overcome this hangover all by herself. With a heavy groan the young woman moved a hand upwards to shield her eyes from the sunlight. She was still busy waking up, when the door to her bedroom swung open.

 **"Morning! It's morning, Miss Michelle!"** a few kitchenware homies greeted her with their usual cheerful singing and immediately started to jump around her bedroom.

 **"We let you sleep in a little because you got home so late!"** Potty the teapot sang, a few small clouds puffing out of her spout.

 **"But now it's time to get up and prepare for work~!"** one of the teacups added, and a moment later a plate with two pancakes stacked on it hopped onto her bed, sitting right next to the young woman.

Just the smell of the food was enough to make Michelle gag, so she rolled over to the other side of the bed.

 **"Urgh... why did I drink so much?"** she groaned, ignoring the homies' cheerful singing.

Last night was undoubtedly wild, but unfortunately she could barely remember a thing. Right now her memory was just as weak as she was.

But just then she realized something and gasped loudly. **"Shoot, that's right! I'm gonna be late for work!"**

Michelle immediately jolted up so she was sitting upright, but that proved to be a costly mistake. Her vision turned blurry for a moment and she could feel her head throb with pain, as if it was protesting against the sudden movement, which promptly caused her to plop back down again.

 **"No way... There's no way I can go to the kitchen like this..."** she whined and glanced over at her nightstand, where her baby Den Den Mushi was sleeping, **"I gotta call Giuseppe and tell him I'm sick..."** she muttered to herself and already leaned forward to grab the small animal, when another thought flashed across her mind. _Giuseppe.... **Giuseppe...** Wait a second-!_

 **"Heeeey, I don't actually have work today! That... that squirrel forgot to tell me!"** she suddenly yelled, and her homies jumped back in surprise.

Michelle now tried to focus as hard as she could on what happened last night, and slowly but surely her memories of the evening came back. **"yeah, yeah... Cracker... he told me he'd be on a mission for a few days... so I don't have to worry about work for now,"** she rambled on, and the previous panic slowly washed off her body.

The homies just looked at their mistress with puzzled expressions, obviously having no clue what she was talking about, and Potty was the first to hop closer and slightly nudge Michelle's side, careful not to spill any of the morning tea she was carrying inside of her.

 **"You must be tired and exhausted right now, but even when there's no work waiting for you, breakfast is _still_ important and will most definitely make you feel better again!"** she said and nodded at the plate with the pancakes, beckoning it to come closer as well, **"just eat a little and _voilá~!_ Your energy will be back in little to no time, Miss Michelle!"**

The young woman absentmindedly nodded at what her teapot said, she was still trying to piece together what exactly happened at the restaurant last night. _Lord, I just hope I didn't embarrass myself..._ sighing, Michelle gave Potty a look, and although she really wasn't feeling like having breakfast today, the teapot was right- getting something into her system was important. And maybe it would help get her brain to work too.

In a very slow and cautious fashion, the young woman sat up again and grabbed the plate with the pancakes and the cutlery homies next to it. With a gulp she began cutting into the food, silently praying that she'll be able to keep it down and won't throw it back up again.

As Michelle was starting to eat, more memories of the evening came flooding back to her. Soon enough she remembered the massive amounts of food and wine she and the Minister shared, how close she was sitting to Cracker, _that one time when she made him mad with her questions,_ and...

The moment when she leaned in to wipe his cheek and he pulled her in for a kiss.

They kissed... They really- _they kissed._ Michelle almost choked on her food when she remembered that. _Holy shit- I made out with the Minister, didn't I?!?! Yeah, I did! Woah. But wait... what happened afterwards...? Urgh, I can't remember how we left the restaurant... How did I get home?_ Pausing for a moment, the young woman looked down on herself and noticed that she was still in the dress she wore last night. _Did... did I get home and forgot undress? No, no matter how drunk I am, I at least always know how to get out of my clothes! Then... did Cracker.... did he drop me off?_ Her head started to throb again as she was trying to recall what happened, but no matter how much she concentrated, she just couldn't remember how she got home. With a small groan she shook her head and choose to focus on her pancakes again, not wanting to risk another headache.

However her breakfeast was soon interrupted when the small Den Den Mushi on her nightstand started to ring. The loud noise almost caused Michelle to choke again, and she looked over at the snail with a confused expression. Who could call her now? Careful not to spill any of her food or tea, the young woman leaned out of her bed and hesitantly grabbed the receiver before guiding it to her ear and leaning back again.

**"Hello?"**

**"Heeey girlfriend, how are you?"** It was her friend, Umi. _She probably wants to know how my date went..._ Michelle figured and took a moment to sort out her thoughts before she replied.

**"I'm... good."**

**"Really? You don't sound like it."** the scepticism was already audible in Umi's voice, which caused Michelle to feel a little nervous.

 **"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got home pretty late last night so I'm still tired."** she let out a demonstrative yawn to show what she was talking about. That seemed to convince her friend.

**"Huh, I can imagine! Talking of which, how was your date with the Minister?"**

_Here we go...._ Taking a deep breath, Michelle forced herself to sound a bit more cheerful in hopes that it would hide her own uncertainty. **"Oh it was very nice! We ate some really tasty food and talked a lot! I think I might have had a bit too much to drink in the end, but other than that the evening was a lot of fun."**

There was a short pause at the other end and Michelle could feel a few drops of sweat forming on her forehead when Umi spoke up again.

**"...And? Did anything happen between you two?"**

**"N-No! What should have happened?!"** Michelle's voice sounded a bit more high-pitched than intended and immediately she wanted to slap a hand over her mouth, her cheeks turning crimson in a matter of seconds.

Umi remained silent for a few moments, and Michelle was almost certain that her friend would call her out on her reaction and demand a proper explanation; but for some reason, none of that happened. Instead, Umi almost sounded as if she was simply shrugging it off. **"Dunno. I just thought that since it was a date, you might have gotten some... 'romantic action', if you know what I mean."**

 **"A-Ahhhh! Yeah, of course. But no, w-we didn't do anything like that!"** although she felt a bit bad for lying to her friend, Michelle didn't think it would be wise to openly talk about the kiss just yet. Especially since _she_ wasn't even sure what last night's events would mean for her and her relationship with the Minister. Before she got some clarification on that or at least talked to Cracker, no one could know about what happened between them. Not even her close friend.

**"Mh, alrighty then. I'm just happy to hear that you had some fun, and I bet you looked suuuuper gorgeous in that dress! I wish I could have seen you like that, all dolled up and pretty... Surely Lord Cracker was drooling when he saw you, hehe. Aw, you know you gotta tell me aaaall about it later! I can definitely hear that you're a bit sick, so make sure to get some rest for now, yeah?"**

Relieved that her friend seemingly understood and was considerate of her situation, Michelle responded without needing to fake her cheerfulness this time. **"Y-Yeah! By the way I don't have to go to work today or for the next few days, so I'll make sure to hit you up when I have some time to hang out!"**

**"Sounds good! See ya soon, girlfriend."**

And with that, they ended the call.

While she was finishing her breakfeast and then slipped out of her dress to get ready for a shower, the young woman thought back to what happened between her and the Minister.

Last night... what _exactly_ did it mean?

Or, more precisely, what did their _kiss_ mean?

Michelle was convinced that she wasn't in love with Cracker, or at least not _yet,_ but there were undoubtely... feelings blossoming within her already. Obviously- after all, they kissed and she definitely liked it. It was a difficult situation for her, because up until now she always found herself torn between thinking about their professional relationship and how inappropriate it would be if they did something like that, and secretly longing to spend time with the Minister in a more personal and private manner.

There was no reason to deny it at this point- she had somewhat of a crush on him.

However what made it all even worse was that there was no way she could clear anything up right now. They made out in that restaurant, he _probably_ brought her home, and now he's out on a mission for a few days. So while Michelle was struggling to piece her memory back together and figure out her feelings, Cracker was gone to do... _who knows what,_ and all she could do was wait for his return.

~*~

A whole week passed until the Minister's mission was over and Michelle got notified by a Chess Soldier that she was expected back at work again. The young woman was sweating bullets when she headed to Cracker's large mansion, her head filled with so many different thoughts- how should she act around him? Should she try to strike up a conversation while serving him his meal? Maybe she could ask him about his mission? What if... what if he even thought about _her_ while he was away? _No no, that's stupid!_

Her heart was racing, anticipating what might happen. For some reason Michelle was certain that everything would be different after her night with the Minister. But, much to her surprise... when she arrived, nothing changed. It was just like an ordinary day at work, almost as if _nothing_ ever happened.

Giuseppe hushed her around as usual, and eventually she brought the food to Cracker, but not without blushing like a tomato. Just being in his close proximity was enough to set her cheeks on fire as memories of their night at the restaurant flashed before her eyes.

However, and Michelle had no clue why, the Minister seemed to pay her no mind. He wasn't looking at her, nor was he teasing her like usual.

He was always so persistant, so why wasn't he doing anything now?

It slightly worried the young woman and of course caused her to overthink things once she was back at home again.

Maybe he forgot about their kiss? Or what if he regretted it and was now avoiding her to ease the awkwardness? Or... perhaps she had so much to drink that she hallucinated and they didn't actually kiss after all?!

Even though that thought made her heart ache a little, it was possible as well. God knows her memory of that night had some major holes in it.

But whatever the Minister's reason to ignore her was, she decided not to confront him about it. That turned out to be a bit harder than expected, especially since she was so excited to see how he would react upon seeing her again. Safe to say, Michelle was disappointed. But it couldn't be helped, and besides, she still had a job to focus on. That was technically the only reason why she came to the Minister's mansion, after all!

And thus the next few days passed, without anything else happening between her and Cracker.

But just as she got back into the flow of things, Giuseppe suddenly announced to her that his wife had recently come down with a fever, and in order to watch over her he'd have to assign his duties over to Michelle for a day.

The mink still didn't really like his young kitchen assistant, but by now he at least trusted her enough to leave the kitchen in her care for a day. And luckily she was turning into more and more of a decent chef thanks to his training, so the task definitely wasn't impossible.

Still, the young woman was pretty worried to serve and make the food all by herself for the very first time. Having complete control over the kitchen was quite intimidating, even when she knew what to do. But then again, this could be a big step in her job and a great opportunity to show Giuseppe how competent she was and that he could trust her- she really didn't want to mess that up. As a result it took her longer than normally to prepare the food, since she was extremely keen on not making any mistakes. Michelle even made sure to double-check everything, even the bottled-up wine, before she would serve it to the Minister.

Like the previous days Cracker didn't seem to care much about her presence, except this time he at least took the time to actually look at her. There was a certain glint in his eyes as he watched her put down the food for him, and Michelle quickly hurried back into the kitchen instead of sticking around like usual. Not that she could afford to waste any time either- since she was all alone in the kitchen, it also meant that she'd need to clean everything by herself. And _boy oh boy_ was there a lot for her to clean. Deciding that she would get his plate and wineglass after the kitchen was taken care of, she walked over to the sink first and started to clean her used cooking utensils.

However it didn't take long until an unsettling feeling spread through her, almost as if she was being watched. And her hunch turned out to be right when a large shadow fell over her shortly after. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it belonged to, however she did so regardless.

 **"Lord Cracker! What are you doing in the kitchen-?"** Michelle asked and upon noticing how close he- or rather, his lower abdomen- already was to her she instinctively took a step back, only to have her back pressed against the wall.

The tall man just looked down at her as he was taking another step forward, basically trapping her between his body and the wall, and when she tried to move away, he hooked his finger in the band of her apron and pulled her against him.

 **„Well, seeing how we finally have the whole place to ourselves, I thought we could make some good use of it, mh~?"** he announced and grinned at the young woman with vigorous excitement.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was getting at, and Michelle was pretty shocked that he was trying to make a move on her in the kitchen, _especially_ after he ignored her for the last few days.

 **"Sir Cracker, I really don't think this is appropriate-"** she tried to voice her concern, but was quickly cut off.

 **"I thought I already told you to drop the Sir, didn't I?"** his lips slightly twitched as he moved one of his hands down to her cheek, caressing it for a moment as if to calm the young woman and coax her into a more comfortable state, **„and what makes you say that this isn't 'appropriate'? You already proved that you liked my company, _my kisses,_ didn't you? So I'm sure you'll _love_ what else I have to offer..."** as he was speaking his hand slowly trailed down her neck, until it reached her collarbone, **„just think about all the things I can do to you..."**

Michelle knew what he was implying, but for the first time ever, she didn't feel scared nor embarrassed. No- as a matter of fact, she was almost a bit mad and _definitely_ upset. First he ignores her and now he waltzes into the kitchen and tries to get with her as if it was the most natural thing in the world...? Whatever game Cracker was playing, she wasn't having any of it. Putting a bit of strength into her arms, Michelle softly tried to push the wall of a man away from her; and much to her surprise, she could feel his muscles tense underneath her hands and he actually stopped touching her, seemingly irritated by her actions. That gave her the opportunity and courage to finally speak and stand up for herself, something she should have done ever since that night at the restaurant.

 **"What is this?"** Michelle asked in an unusually demanding and firm tone.

 **"What is what?"** Cracker questioned in return, now obviously confused.

 **"What is-"** the young woman wildly gestured between them with her hands to show what she meant, **"what _are we?_ What do you _actually_ want from me?!"**

 **"'What are we'?"** Cracker repeated, and although the confusion was still apparant on his face, it slowly started to dawn on him, **"Well, can't you tell? After our little 'date night' it should be obvious- I want you to be mine, little one. Plain and simple."** he bent down again and this time his lips pressed against her neck. He immediately started to softly suck on her skin, smirking as he heard her inhale sharpy. By now he was convinced that his intentions were more than clear by now. Cracker had hoped that Michelle would be the one to approach him first during the last few days and profess her _undying attraction_ to him, but since that didn't happen he waited for the right opportunity to approach her and finally continue where they left off. This was his big moment. Hopefully the young woman would start to melt into his embrace soon, and from there on out it would only be a matter of time until she leans against him and begs him to take her; _right here, right-_

**"Stop, please."**

...But instead of wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, Michelle pressed both of her hands against his chest once again, trying to shove him away from her. Realizing that she wasn't giving in yet, Cracker pulled away, but not before groaning like a disappointed child. Things were not going as he had expected, which caused the Minister to frown with impatience.

 **"This... it's not right. No, not like this-"** struggling to find the right words and feeling weak in her knees because of how Cracker went at her just moments ago, Michelle closed her eyes and attempted to fight off the warm sensation rushing through her. That immediately caught the Minister's attention, who took her silence and flustered expression as signs of torn hesitation and decided to go back to softly peppering her face with small kisses, albeit he was more careful now.

 **"Don't be so shy, little one. Back at the restaurant, you asked for it. Just admit it, you want to be mine as well, don't you?"** he hummed and kissed her cheek before his tongue darted out from between his lips and gently licked over her heated skin in a sensual manner. In the meantime his hand, which rested close to her hip until now, slowly moved down and rubbed over her legs before it went back up and vanished underneath her skirt-

Michelle's breath hitched and her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. The young woman was completely overwhelmed by everything that was happening to her right now, and before she could even think about what she was about to say, the words already spurted out of her.

 **„Why? So... so you can get bored of me and drop me eventually?"** she breathed against his cheek, her own hand grabbing his wrist before it could travel up her skirt any further. Cracker immediately stopped and turned his head to directly look at her, reading her expression. He really didn't expect this sudden defiance. If anything, he was sure she would've just giving into him now, just like at the restaurant. And after all, that was how things always went with his women. Why was she fighting so hard when she obviously wanted him as well?

Now that she finally seemed to have his full attention and didn't need to worry about his wandering hands or mouth, Michelle used that opportunity to press a shaking hand against the side of his face and turned him towards her even more so she could look directly into his pink eyes.

 **„Look, I- maybe I do want to spend more time with you... but not like this. Not as some sort of... _affair_ or _toy_ or whatever."** she finally admitted, and it was surprisingly a lot easier than she had expected. She's been keeping this bottled up inside of her for a while now, and finally saying it out loud felt as if a great burden was just lifted off of her shoulders. Yes, she wanted to be with the Minister. But she also had to make it clear that she had no desire to stick around for some quick 'fun' or whatever he was after and then get discarded like some used doll.

 **„'Affair'? Oh, is that what's bothering you?"** just at that moment something seemed to click with Cracker, and he gazed into her baby-blue eyes with a mischievous glint, **„Mh... hold on now. Are you saying that if I choose to properly court or date you, it would make this okay? I could do whatever I want to you, _fuck you,_ only if you get to claim that we have a more... 'genuine' thing going on?"**

 **„N-No, that's not it! I-I mean, sort of...?"** Michelle winced and quickly broke off the eye contact by turning her head to the side, her fingers fumbling with her apron to calm herself, **„I-I guess if you were my boyfriend... and we're dating... that would make it more clear what we are, and what we want... b-but it still doesn't mean that I just hop into this kind of stuff blindly!"** she was biting down on her lip and mentally cursed her inexperience when it came to actual relationships. Sure, she shared a few romantic interactions here and there, but nothing ever went beyond shy kisses since she was always on the go thanks to her family's business.

 **„Boyfriend... ha! I hate that word,"** Cracker suddenly replied through gritted teeth, **„I'm not a little boy, I'm a man. You'll see that soon enough..."**

That statement made Michelle gulp. It almost sounded as if he was offended by her idea. To be fair, he was a Minister and she was just a random citizen, so it sorta made sense that her asking him if they could date might turn him off. She almost expected Cracker to make fun of her now for even suggesting such a thing- but instead, he said something that caught her even more off guard.

**„...But you know what? Fine. I am curious to see where this might lead, so consider it accepted. We can play house for a bit. Who knows? Perhaps I'll even like it for once~."**

Was he for real...? Was he really agreeing to her idea? Michelle could feel her heart stop. Did this mean- he was actually, _genuinely_ interested in her as well?!

 **„Alright, I'll be your 'boyfriend', Michelle,"** Cracker announced in a grand fashion and dramatically spread his arms for her. 

However, she wasn't fully convinced yet. **„But do you really mean it? It's not just about you... wanting to get into my pants, right?"** Michelle retorted and still hesitated to lean into his hug, which made Cracker lower his arms again.

The tall man pretended to look thoughtful for a moment and tapped his fingers against the kitchen wall, right next to her head.

 **„Mhhh... well, as much as I'd _love_ to just get straight to the good stuff, it'd be a lie to say that I'm not a little intrigued by you. And perhaps I do want to see what else you have to offer- not just sexually, I mean. You're fun to be around, so yes, I am sort of genuine,"** his lips curled upwards into an amused smile when Michelle blushed, **„not many of my past women can claim that I wanted to get to know them and gave them time. But I'm sure it'll all be worth in the end,"** he purred and leaned in against her neck again before adding in a husky voice, **„You're allowed to feel honored, but don't let it get to your head, little one."**

Feeling his breath tickle over her skin caused Michelle to shudder, but this time it was with excitement. This was really happening, wasn't it? They were actually going to- _to date!_ The young woman had to resist the urge to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. She looked down at Cracker as if to confirm again if he really meant what he said, but the tall man was already busy with her neck again.

 **„Now... where were we?"** she could feel him grin as his teeth grazed and nipped at her pale skin. Moments later a large hand snaked around her waist to keep her close, and for a second the young woman rested both of her arms on his shoulder as if to pull him closer, which made Cracker's grin widen. But then she gently pushed him away to get more space between their bodies again, and the Minister groaned with disappointment.

 **„A-Actually, I think it's time for me to go home now!"** Michelle quickly babbled out, not even trying to hide her excitement. _I gotta tell Umi about this! She'll never believe me!_ A thrilled smile appeared on her lips. Forgotten were her remaining kitchen duties, all she wanted right now was to get home and tell her friend all about this.

 **„Seriously? You're going to leave me like this, _again?_ "** Cracker almost sounded like a child that was denied its favorite treat when Michelle pushed past him and started to untie her apron.

 **"I-I'll be honest with you. I'm not quite ready for that sort of thing yet,"** she admitted with her gaze averted to hide the embarrassment that was creeping onto her face, **"but maybe we could... uhm, try this some other time? Oh, or we could go on a date again soon! That might be nice!"** she suggested and looked up at Cracker, who was still pouting a bit but then stood up to his full height and straightened his back.

 **„Very well."** he sighed and took a step back, allowing the young woman to move around a bit better, **„but the least you can do is give your new _boyfriend_ a goodbye kiss before leaving."**

 _Huh...? Now this sounds oddly familiar..._ she thought but nodded slowly. **"T-That's doable, I guess,"** Michelle then stuttered out. It was hard for her to hide her own excitement. Hearing Cracker refer to himself as 'her boyfriend' send a very pleasant spark down her body, which was unlike any she's ever felt before. She quickly walked over to the door to hang up her apron before she returned to him again.

Once she was right infront of him, the tall man bent down a bit to make it easier for her, but in order to really reach his face Michelle was still forced to get on her tip toes. She expected Cracker to take the initiative as usual, but this time he made no attempt to pull her closer or seal her lips with his. Instead, her boyfriend remained completely still.

Not knowing what she was supposed to do now, Michelle started to tightly grip the fabric of her skirt and intensively stared at his face, looking for a clue as to how she should proceed.

 **"Well? I'm waiting,"** Cracker hummed in a low tone and blinked down at her. Oh- he really wanted her to kiss him this time!

She gulped but nodded her head, an idea was slowly starting to form in her mind.

**"A-Alright. Could you please close your eyes then?"**

**"What? Why?"**

**"Just- close your eyes, please."** she repeated, this time more confident.

Cracker seemed hesitant for a moment but then shrugged, a playful glimmer flashed up in his eyes before he did as she asked.

Now, without having to deal with him looking at her, Michelle grabbed onto his shoulders to boost herself up and closed the distance between, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. The kiss only lasted a few moments and Cracker was visibly unsatisfied when she instantly pulled away again; he didn't even get a chance to deepen the kiss. Welp, but at least he had her take the initiative for once.

 **"Okay, I-I'll see you tomorrow then!"** Michelle said and bowed her head before she hastily hurried over to the door, her cheeks already flushed again.

The sight of her flustered expression was something Cracker adored, and it immediately made him forget about his previous disappointment with the short kiss. **"Yeah, I can hardly wait."** he hummed and watched with amusement as his new girlfriend basically _hurled_ herself out of the kitchen.

Once the door shut behind her, he looked around the still dirty kitchen for a moment and then added in a low whisper; **„Just be assured... in the end, I'll always get what I want."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but I was dealing with a big lack of motivation and health issues lately so I couldn't bring myself to write that much :') But ayyyyy part one of this fanfic is finally done ;^;!!! That means only 3 other parts and 19 more chapters to go hahaha :'D
> 
> Well well well would you look at that, the relationship between Michelle and Cracker has finally been kicked off and the two are now ready to (try) it as a couple(?)! You probably guessed it already, but with Cracker being a (horny) Charlotte and, y'know, her boss, problems are of course waiting right around the corner already- this won't be an easy or fluffy ride, that's for sure! 
> 
> Fair warning, the next chapter might be a big one again, but I'll try not to take a month with finishing it this time x'D As usual, thank you very much for reading!!! If you spot any mistakes, let me know<333
> 
> Also, Fun fact: The picture for this chapter as well as the cover of this story was drawn by a friend for me! Isn't it beautiful ;^;??? Michelle's hair is a bit longer in the fanfic though, but otherwise it's a very accurate representation of what she looks like (and her current dynamic with Cracker huhu<3)!


	12. Starting all over again

**„AAAAHHH WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!"**

**„Michelle, calm down now-"**

**„I'm dating the Minister, Umi! We're really dating! Can you believe it?! Because I can't! I mean, that's what he said as well, right?! He's my _boyfriend_ now!"** Michelle basically screeched, and the furniture homies in her living room flinched in sync with each of their owner's shouts.

**„Girl, what are you even talking about? Do you have a fever? Are you drunk or something?!"** Umi, who was sitting across from her on the couch, held a shaking cup of tea in her hand and watched on in confusion as the other woman suddenly stood up and started to pace through the small living room.

**„Oh my god, it's so exciting... but also scary! I can't tell anyone. You can't tell anyone! Especially not Panea. If she knows, everyone knows!"** Undettered by Umi's visible bewilderment, Michelle rambled on. At this point she was talking more to herself than her friend.

Umi just scratched her cheek as she looked at her, still completely bamboozled by this sudden revelation. When Michelle invited her over for an "emergency brunch" she thought it would be because of something silly- like that one time when the young woman bought a dress two times her size thinking it was a picnic blanket- but not _this._ The moment Michelle told her that she was appearantly in a relationship with the Minister, Umi almost spat out her tea.

**"Please Michelle, start from the beginning. Why- _how_ are you dating Lord Cracker? I thought there was nothing going on between you two!"** she asked while Michelle walked over to her small coffee table, reached into a large bowl filled with sweets, and started to shovel cookie after cookie into her mouth, seemingly to calm down her nervosity.

However Umi's question almost caused her to choke. _Right._ She didn't know yet. Michelle slowly lowered her hand back into the snack bowl and as she grabbed another cookie she blinked over at her friend with a guilty smile on her lips. **"I-I did say that, didn't I? Well, actually... Cracker and I... _we..._ sorta kissed at the restaurant."** she admitted sheepishly and began nibbling on the cookie as distraction.

It took Umi a moment to process this new information, but then she too jumped up from the couch and started to yell. **"AHA! I KNEW SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD HAPPEN!"** for a moment she had what looked like a victorious expression on her face, but it immediately fell when she realized that Michelle lied to her about what happened at the restaurant. Now more confused than before, Umi plopped back down on the couch again. **"So why didn't you just tell me the truth back then? Were you afraid that I'd tell someone?"**

**"No, that's not why,"** Michelle quickly gulped down the remains of her cookie and then walked over to sit down next to her friend, deciding that it was time to fill Umi in on what really happened that night and why she didn't tell her about it. **"The reason why I kept it secret was because not even I was sure if the kiss meant anything. I was sooo drunk that I could have just imagined it,"** she explained and sighed, **"also, Cracker ignored me for a while afterwards so I figured that it probably meant nothing. But then... this morning... he approached me in the kitchen, and-"** she paused and her cheeks heated up at the memory. 

**"Aaaand...?"** Umi was basically glued to her lips, eager to get to the bottom of this.

**"...a-and well he was trying to get some 'action' if you know what I mean and I told him that I wanted to spend more time with him but not as a bed warmer or whatever so I suggested that we should date and he actually agreed and now we are boyfriend and girlfriend!"** Michelle babbled out at record speed, the story sounding even more ridiculous now that she said it out loud.

Biting down on her bottom lip, she looked over Umi and expected the other woman to roll her eyes, sigh dramatically, or even accuse her of making this up- but instead her friend furrowed her brows and her usually so friendly and playful expression turned stern and serious.

After a moment of silence the older woman sighed and crossed her arms infront of her chest. **"Frankly, it doesn't surprise me."** she muttered, and now it was Michelle's turn to look at her friend with bewilderment. 

_Huh?_ Well that definitely wasn't the reaction she expected. She blinked at the older woman with her big, round eyes and slightly tilted her head to the side, which almost made her look like a confused puppy.

Upon noticing the confusion that was written all over Michelle's face, Umi briefly ran a hand through her hair and elaborated; **"Here on Biscuits Island, there are lots of rumors and whispers regarding Lord Cracker and his private life. Supposedly he had intimate relationships with many of his previous maids, and afterwards he immediately discharged them."**

**"Oh yeah, I know that."** Michelle immediately replied in a weirdly confident tone, which caused Umi to raise a suspicious eyebrow.

**"Wait, you do?"** she asked and leaned forward, **"Then you _know_ that he's just playing with you."**

Michelle shook her head at that. **"No Umi, it's not like that! I told him I don't want to be used, so we're trying to date for real! Just like a proper couple!"**

**"Oh, Michelle. You pure, innocent soul..."** Umi sighed, and in that moment her tone reminded Michelle an awful lot of Panea's- only that it was just a little less condescending and purposefully ironic. **"Cracker is not a man who 'dates'. He wants something from you, and once he got it, he'll drop you like a cold potato."**

**"N-No, listen, that's not-"**

**"Just think about it: he's no ordinary guy, he's the son of Charlotte Linlin! He can't have a normal relationship with you, even if he wanted to! You must have heard about it, how Big Mom always marries off her children to strengthen her influence, yeah?"** Umi retorted in a more serious tone, firmly standing her ground.

Michelle hesitantly nodded at that. She had a bad feeling about where this was headed.

**"The Charlotte children can't 'date'. From what I've heard and saw they sometimes have dalliances here and there, but it's never something serious! They know that they're not allowed to choose their partners, hence why they don't engage in any serious stuff."** Umi concluded and immediately felt a sting of guilt when she saw how Michelle's previously excited expression dropped.

Of course the young woman heard about that, she wasn't dumb. She knew that Big Mom used her children to create alliances by match-making. But the thought that Cracker was just toying with her, despite even him claiming otherwise, wasn't something she wanted to believe. Not after what he said to her this morning.

Her head was still sunk low when Umi reached out and gently touched her shoulder, an attempt to comfort her friend.

**"You're an adult and I'm not... I'm not trying to tell you what to do. Just be careful and think this through, yeah? I'd hate to see you heartbroken, Michelle."**

**"I hear you, Umi. I'm definitely going to keep in mind what you said,"** Michelle nodded weakly, but then lifted her head in one swift motion, now looking a bit more determined again, **"but I still want to try! Even if he's a bit pushy and weird from time to time, I know that Cracker has a good side as well! Do you remember when he saved me and stayed by my side in the hospital? Maybe... maybe he'll be able to change! Maybe this can really work!"**

Umi mustered the younger woman with an unreadable expression before she sighed in defeat and leaned back against the couch, her usual playful smile quickly returning to her lips.

**"Well, I really don't know if you'll be able to change him, but I also want to believe in you. You're a pretty cute girl, so who knows? Perhaps you'll be able to win Lord Cracker's heart. Heh, and if I can't stop you, at least make sure to keep me updated on what's going on between you two, yeah? If you want, I can give you some advice here and there!"** she winked at Michelle, trying to uplift her friend's mood again.

And it worked.

With a bright and eager smile Michelle nodded. Getting Umi's support was a big relief and meant a lot to her- after all, Umi was the only person she could turn to here, and it would have hurt if she out of all people rejected her. 

From there on out their brunch continued as usual, with the two women switching the topic and talking about the latest Tottoland fashion trend instead: glueing strawberries and other fruit to your favorite outfits for a snack on the go. Once it was time for Umi to head back home, she and Michelle shared a warm hug and agreed to hang out again tomorrow.

However, none of them could've predicted the awful circumstances under which they would meet the following day.

~*~

It was the middle of the night and Michelle was all cuddled up in her bed when the loud sound of something shattering slowly pulled her out of her slumber. At first she thought it was just part of her dream, but then another loud noise, which was similiar to the first but sounded even closer, caused her eyes to blink open. **„Mh? Is it breakfeast time already?"** she yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes to see what was going on, but found that her room was still clouded in complete darkness. The pale moonlight that was shining in through her window was the only real source of light and barely even illuminated the room enough for her to make out the silhouettes of her furniture.

It didn't take long until her eyes adjusted to the dark and Michelle sat up in her bed, quickly realizing that something was wrong. Normally her house was filled with the soft sounds of her homies snoring, but tonight everything was eerily silent.

Suddenly another loud, shattering sound tore through the air, this time coming from downstairs.

**"H-Hello? Potty, is that you?"** Michelle called out into the darkness, only to be met with complete silence.

Said silence only lasted a few seconds though when yet _another_ new noise reached her ear. It was different from the previous ones and sounded more like something was scrambling over the floor of her bedroom. Confused and scared, Michelle looked around her room to find the source of the sound, and then she saw it- a large, dark shadow, right there in the corner of her bedroom. Whatever it was, it was far too big to be one of her homies, that was for sure.

The young woman instinctively pulled the blankets closer to her body to protect herself, scared that someone might have broken in and was trying to rob her. _I locked the door, didn't I? And closed all windows? What is going on?!_ her thoughts were racing as she tried to make out who the shadow belonged to.

**"Hello? Who is this?!"** although she already felt pretty uneasy, she decided to call out again. 

And then the shadow began to move. Two rows of dangerously sharp teeth and a pair of yellow eyes flashed up in the dark as the creature turned around to look into the direction of her bed.

A very heavy and foreboding feeling spread through Michelle, who stared back at the beast in complete disbelief.

_Am I still dreaming? What the hell is that?!_ was her immediate thought as she watched the... 'monster' come closer. It must have noticed her by now and soon locked eyes with the young woman. As its yellow orbs stared right into her blue ones, the creature took another step forward and then stopped right where it stood.

The monster opened its mouth, further baring its razor-sharp teeth at Michelle, before abruptly chomping down on the floor of her bedroom, tearing out a huge piece of wood in the process, all while keeping its eyes focussed on the young woman. It almost looked as if it was trying to challenge her. And as if that wasn't bad enough, a moment later another shadow rose up from behind the creature. It was completely identical to the thing that just tore out a piece of her floor, and also stared at Michelle with the same challenging look. _Monsters._ There were monsters in her house!

The young woman wasted no time and leaned out of her bed to grab one of her crutches in case she'd need to defend herself. Scared but not willing to give up, Michelle held out her walking-assistant like a pitchfork and began thrusting it into the direction of the beasts, trying to get them to back off. By now the first monster was finished with vandalizing her floor and advancing towards her bed once more, and the closer it came the more she was able to make out of its body. Overall the creature was pitch black, save for its teeth and eyes. It appeared to have multiple legs with claws at the end, a large and bulky abdomen, and a pair of feelers were sticking out of its head. Michelle could have sworn that she saw it somewhere before, but couldn't remember where.

**"S-Stay away! Don't come any closer!"** she commanded as the creature almost reached her bed. It stopped for a brief moment to watch what she was doing, but then continued to creep towards her, completely undettered by her little outburst. 

**"I'm warning you! Stay away!"** Michelle repeated and tried to sound more threatening, but it didn't work. When the beast began to use its claws to climb up her bed, the young woman raised her crutch up high and then brought it down fast, bonking the monster's head with it, in hopes that the impact would scare it away.

But it only made it angry.

A viscious growl left its throat as it shook its head and then continued to climb up her bed, the rows of razor sharp teeth now only a few inches away from her body.

_This is a nightmare... it has to be!_ Michelle thought and froze up, dropping her crutch in the process. Nothing she tried was working, so there was only one thing left for her to do. Terrified, she threw herself back into the sheets, pressed her body against the mattress, and tightly shut her eyes while praying that this was all just a bad dream. Yeah, there was no way this was real. Next time she'd open her eyes everything would be fine and as usual. This was all just in her imagination... Despite her best efforts to calm down, her breathing was getting increasingly uneven and she started to feel rather lightheaded. Suddenly, something hot and wet hit her face while the weight of something heavy ontop of her torso further pressed her body into the mattress. **Oh god.** _The monster must be right ontop of her-_

Unable to calm herself and paralyzed with fear, Michelle passed out then and there.

~*~

A few hours passed by until the young woman was woken by a strong gust of cold wind sweeping over her body and rustling through her sheets. It made the small hairs at the back of her neck stand up and forced her to pull the sheets closer to her body in order to shield herself from the sudden cold. But the thin fabric of her blankets offered little protection from these unusually frosty temperatures, and soon enough her whole body was shivering. Seeing no point in trying to fall asleep again, Michelle sighed and reluctantly rolled over onto her side, deciding that it was time to get up.

But just as she opened her eyes, her bed- no, _the whole upper floor of her house_ \- began to shake. 

**"Gya!"** the sudden feeling of her mattress trembling underneath her instantaneously jolted her awake, and she quickly grabbed onto her bedpost for support, scared that she might get thrown off her bed otherwise. Luckily the trembling only lasted a few seconds before it ceased down, and Michelle sighed in relief as her mattress turned still again.

**"Damn, was that an earthquake just now?"** she muttered to herself and slowly let go of the bedpost before looking up at the sky.

_Wait._

Why was she able to look directly at the sky...? Where was the ceiling of her bedroom?!

**"H-Huh...?"**

Confused, the young woman fully sat up in her bed, and another strong gust of wind almost immediately swept her blanket away. She managed to grab it just in time, and slowly but surely it dawned on her where the sudden cold came from. 

It was then that Michelle turned to the side and realized that the walls of her bedroom were almost completely gone, thus leaving her exposed to nature's whims. Her eyes widened as a numb and foreboding feeling spread in her guts. **"What's going on?"** she swallowed hard and carefully scooted over to the far right side of her bed, still tightly holding onto her blanket as she peeked over the edge.

Her worst fear was confirmed when she looked straight down into what used to be her kitchen and living room. The few pieces of furniture she owned were torn apart with various scratch and bitemarks all over their remains, water was leaking out from where a sink used to be, and almost every wall was either completely gone or heavily damaged.

But that wasn't all.

A large crowd of spectators had already gathered around the leftovers of her house, all of them with curious and more or less worried looks on their faces. They were gossiping with one another, and appearantly they hadn't notice the young woman on the upper floor yet.

**"My god, what happened here?"**

**"It looks like a tornado hit the house!"**

**"Don't tell me... could it be that those things finally arrived at Cookie Town...?"**

**"Just who could do such a thing?!"**

It was hard for Michelle to make out what exactly they were saying, and before anyone could spot her she scooted away from the edge, not wanting to be seen in her current state. Just then, the remains of her upper floor started to shake again. It was clear that her house- or what was left of it- was close to collapsing.

The clock was ticking, she had to get out... but how?

Too panicked to do anything, Michelle remained frozen in her bed, clutching her sheets as if she was holding on for dear life.

_This can't be right... I must still be dreaming,_ she thought to herself, shook her head, and violently shut her eyes. _Okay, let's try this again. I'll just go back to sleep, and when I open my eyes everything will be-_

**"Michelle? Michelle, where are you?!"**

Suddenly, a familiar voice set itself apart from the noisy crowd below. Michelle promptly scooted over to the edge of her bed again and scanned through the crowd to find the person who called her name. And there she was, elbowing her way through the mass of spectators- the only person that could still make Michelle feel somewhat relieved and reassured in a situation as dastardly as this.

**"U-Umi?!"** she called out to her friend, voice weak and quiet.

For a moment the young woman almost felt relieved to spot her one and only friend in the crowd. _Almost._

**"Look at my house, Umi! Something... something destroyed my whole house!!! My homies, my furniture, everything! It's all gone... why?!"** Michelle cried out as tears welled up in her eyes. At last she couldn't hold her feelings back anymore, showing just how overwhelmed she was with the whole situation.

Umi, who was now standing right infront of the remains of the kitchen, stared up at her friend with horror, but then her gaze panned down to look at what was left of Michelle's home and she quickly realized that there was no time to console the young woman. Being an architect, Umi immediately noticed how the whole foundation of the building was destroyed, and the only reason why the upper floor hasn't come crashing down yet was because of a single pillar that connected what used to be the bottom of the stairs to the floor of the bedroom. But said pillar already had scratches and large cracks all over it and was moments away from breaking in.

They had to act, _now._

**"Look I know this is a terrible situation, but Michelle, you need to listen to me! The floor is about to break in at any moment now, and I don't see a safe way for you to climb down... So I'm gonna need you to jump!"**

Michelle's eyes widened at that and she violently shook her head, clinging to her sheets even more than before, not caring that her fingers were almost tearing through the fabric. **"Don't even joke about that! J-Jump? From this height?! I'll die or break all of my bones!"** she yelled back at Umi, her voice shaking with fear and humiliation. By now the large pool of spectators had noticed the young woman stuck on the upper floor and were gazing up at her. And as if that wasn't bad enough, ontop of everything, Michelle was also still in her nightgown.

Ignoring the people around her, Umi locked eyes with her friend once more and held out her arms. **"Just pay attention to me, Michelle! I promise I'll catch you, don't worry! Believe me, I'm a lot stronger than I look!"**

A loud, cracking sound suddenly tore through the air, and a second later Michelle's bed as well as the whole upper floor started to dangerously tilt to the side. A surprised yelp left the young woman as she almost rolled out of her bed, but luckily she managed to grip onto her mattress just in time. Her pillow however slid right off the side and landed in the crowd of people below, who immediately stepped back as they realized that the house was about to collapse.

Watching her pillow hit the ground, Michelle looked back at Umi one more time before swallowing down her fear, understanding that there was no other way. She could either stay in bed and crash down with the upper floor of her house, or she tried jumping. With a shaky nod, Michelle then let go of her sheets and slowly got out of her bed, trying to ignore the dozens of eyes that were burning into her barely covered form.

She managed to find a somewhat solid piece of floor to stand on, and with wonky steps the young woman waddled over to the edge of her bedroom, right above where Umi was positioned. Upon looking down though Michelle gulped loudly and began to fidge with her fingers, hesitating once more. Although her house wasn't build that high, the ground seemed really far away right now. **"I-I don't know if I can do this..."** she whimpered as panic began to rise within her again. Her heart was beating so loud and fast that she feared it might burst. _I have to act, I have to do something! Come on Michelle, just jump!_

And just as the floor started to tremble again, she tightly shut her eyes and jumped.

The moment Michelle leaped off her floor she regretted it, the cold wind slapped her right in the face as she was starting to fall towards the ground. 

**"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"**

An ear-piercing scream left her lungs as she plumeted through the air, her eyes still shut tight in terror and arms flailing around as if she was trying to somewhat slow down her fall.

The descend only lasted a second, but it felt like an eternity to her.

Soon enough her back hit something solid, and for a moment Michelle thought that she must have slammed into the ground and broke all of her bones like she feared. But when she opened her eyes, she came face to face with her friend's toothy grin.

**"See? I told you I'd catch you, no problem,"** Umi grinned down at her while firmly holding the young woman in her arms. Just as promised, she did catch her. Unable to control herself, Michelle leaned forward and tightly hugged her friend's neck.

**"Thank you, Umi...!"** she sobbed, **"I don't know what would've happened if-"**

Michelle didn't get to finish that sentence though as the sound of something being crushed behind them interrupted her, and a moment later a loud crash tore through the air and announced the complete fall of her house. Dust as well as dirt was being swirled up and caused the people within close proximity, including Umi and Michelle, to cough.

Aware of what just happened but unable to turn back and face the reality of the situation, Michelle buried her face deeper in Umi's shoulder. Her home.... it was gone now. Not just that, but the life she had been building for the past weeks was destroyed as well. Tears began to wet her cheeks as she looked up at her friend with a pleading expression.

**"How did this happen, Umi? What could've done something like this?!"** Michelle cried, not even caring that dozens of people were staring at her and her friend. Every single person who just witnessed what happened had pitiful looks plastered all over their faces and quietly mumbled among themselves.

Umi didn't reply right away, first she slowly let Michelle down so the young woman could stand on her own again. Just in case she still held onto her with one arm to make sure that she wouldn't collapse. 

**"That's a fine mess you've gotten yourself into..."** she sighed and then asked; **"Do you remember anything unusual? Did something happen after I left you yesterday?"**

Michelle thought for a moment and then nodded hesitantly. **"Well, I had this weird dream... there were those big, bulky, dark creatures... they were in my room and... started... attacking my floor..."** the young woman furrowed her brows as she recalled the strange dream encounter, and then it clicked with her. _Last night... could it be...? No, it wasn't just a dream- it must have really happened!_ her eyes widened at that realization, _But how? How did those monsters destroy my whole house?!_

Umi's gaze darkened after what Michelle said.

**"I think I know what might have happened. Judging by the bitemarks and scratches on the walls-"** she pointed at the few remaining, somewhat recognizable parts of the house, **"...this can only mean one thing. The beasts that have been terrorizing the outskirts of Cookie Town have reached the Shortbread District at last."** she announced ominously, her voice completely dry.

But before Michelle could ask her friend what she meant by that, a new voice dominated the crowd and instantly made everyone go quiet.

**"What is going on?!"**

It belonged to none other than Charlotte Cracker, who's morning patrol was suddenly interrupted when a citizen informed him of a commotion in the Shortbread District- appearantly someone's house was getting demolished. At first the Minister didn't think too much of it and assumed that it was just a dumb prank, but when he turned around the corner and realized that it was Michelle's house, his pace quickened and he made his way through the crowd and over to his 'girlfriend' with large and angry steps. The citizens immediately stepped aside and cleared a path to let him through, a few of them even flinched because of how enraged he looked.

**"What happened here?"** the Commander demanded to know again as he finally reached the two women and dangerously towered over them. He quickly glanced at the ruins of Michelle's house before his gaze burned into Umi, who was still holding his girlfriend's arm. Neither of them said anything, Michelle didn't even seem to acknowledge his presence at all, and just like everyone else Umi was visibly frightened by the Minister's sudden anger and instantly let go of Michelle's arm before taking a few steps back to put some distance between herself and the Minister. A terrified silence loomed over the crowd, until eventually a single Chess Soldier walked up to Cracker to finally fill him in.

**"My Lord, it appears that some sort of creature, presumably the sea ants, have made their way into town and destroyed this young woman's house from the ground up,"** he explained and pointed at what used to be Michelle's kitchen. It was hard to make out thanks to all the rubble lying ontop, but the parts of the tiled floor that weren't completely destroyed were filled with large and deep-looking holes. 

**"...They must have buried in from underneath and devoured a majority of the building before disappearing again."**

Cracker gritted his teeth, pure fury was plastered all over his face and caused his veins to pop up and wrinkles to deepen. **"So those pesky little things made it all the way inland after all! How dare they mess with my island..."**

The Commander's gaze panned over the remains of the house one more time before he shook off his initial anger and turned around to the still shaken Michelle. He quickly forced his usual cheeky expression onto his features and slightly bend down to get her attention.

**„You're really an unlucky little one, aren't you?"** he chuckled, but it was void of his usual playfulness, **„first, you get slashed up just a few weeks after moving here. Now, you lose your house. What's next? Somebody actually manages to steal you away from me~?"**

Perhaps he was trying to cheer her up by making light of the situation, but it didn't work.

**„Everything... everything I had is gone..."** was all Michelle stuttered out, her eyes now glued to the ruins that used to be her house. This was her home. Her safe space. Even if she shared it with a dozen homies, this was the one and only place she could retreat to, where she felt in control of herself. The pictures she kept of her family, her homie friends, all of the nice things she bought to decorate her home with- it was all gone. Michelle's lips quivered as a new wave of tears turned her eyes glossy.

Cracker's grin quickly dropped as he realized just how hard this was hitting her. After shifting around for a moment, he reached over his shoulder and fumbled around with his pauldron, and with a click! his cape came loose a second later. He swiftly draped it over Michelle's barely covered and shivering body before squatting down to be on her eye level, however he avoided directly looking into her blue orbs.

**"This... shouldn't have happened."** he muttered quietly and adjusted the cape around her as if he was dressing up a child, his voice lacking its usual prideful tone. He sounded almost... _embarrassed,_ and for the first time today Michelle looked up at Cracker's face to read his expression. A small pink hue decorated his cheeks. He was blushing. When Cracker noticed that she was staring at him, he swiftly stood up again and took a step back, choosing to look into a completely different direction while clearing his throat.

Under normal circumstances Michelle would have been surprised to see him blush, _and probably would have blushed right back,_ but today this barely mattered to her.

**"Cracker... what am I supposed to do now? Where do I live?"** she asked him, quietly hoping that he could somehow come up with a solution that might make her feel a bit better.

Umi, who was watching the two in silence until now, chirped in at that. **"Wait, I know! You should stay with me until we find you a new home!"** she excitedly grabbed Michelle's hand in hers, something that didn't go unnoticed by Cracker, who for some reason frowned at the sight.

**„No. This is the first case of ants in the Shortbread District, meaning that they must have build a nest somewhere around here. Soon enough the whole area will get infested, so all citizens need to be evacuated before we go for a thorough pest sweep."** he explained and crossed his arms infront of his chest. He seemed unusually defensive and almost as if he was challenging Umi, which made the young architect back up a little.

Cracker didn't even give her a chance to reply before he continued; **"For the time being I'd advise you to look for a hotel in another district. If I'm not mistaken you're one of Biscuits Island's main architects, right? Then you probably already know the best places to stay at."**

Umi quietly nodded at that, not wanting to make the Minister angry.

**„But... what do I do?"** Michelle threw in, she was still visibly distraught and overwhelmed by everything. Cracker turned back to his girlfriend and took a step forward, effectively stepping between her and Umi.

**„Well... as you're aware, I reside in another district as well, and my mansion is quite big. It definitely has more than enough space for me and... someone else."** he said in a suggestive tone, and Michelle immediately knew what he was getting at.

**„I guess it's a good thing that we're 'dating' now, right?"** Cracked added with a smirk tugging at his lips and put one of his large hands on her shoulder.

Michelle looked past him and for a brief moment locked eyes with Umi, who just gave a shrug in return. There wasn't really anything else she could do, was there?

**"Y-Yeah, that sounds like a good temporary solution."** she nodded at last while tightly holding onto the cape draped around her body.

By now a few of the bystanders had started to talk among themselves again, the little exchange between Cracker and the two young women didn't go completely unnoticed by them. They all looked pretty scared, questions like _"What do we do now?" "Where should we move?" "Is Cookie Town even safe anymore?"_ quickly filled the air. As the whining kept swelling up, Cracker cleared his throat and swiftly turned around to address the crowd.

**"Citizens of Cookie Town, there is absolutely no need to for you to worry! As unfortunate as this event is, I promise it won't ever happen again! While my kitchen maid moves in with me, we will look for a way to deal with this ant problem once and for all! No other building shall fall victim to those creatures again!"** he announced as Michelle stood next to him with her head hung low. His large cape almost swallowed her tiny body, making her look even smaller than before.

Ohhhh the irony. She desperately wanted to be independent, but now someone needed to take care of her again. Michelle bit her lip and tightened her hold on the cape. Was this already the end of her adventure? Did she only manage to survive on her own for nothing more than a few weeks before the next person had to take control of her life...?

The young woman shook her head. _No._

What other options did she have?

She had no money for a hotel at hand, nor could she move in with her friend. This was the only solution.

After Cracker had calmed the crowd he looked down at her and then nodded at the road ahead, signaling Michelle that it was time to go. He still had other duties to attend to today and couldn't get held up by this for too long.

So with her head still hung low she trotted after her boyfriend, who was slowly leading her away from what used to be her home. Michelle couldn't even bear to look at it again. It would definitely take some time for her to get over this.

As they walked to his mansion, Cracker pulled out a small Den Den Mushi and called his staff to inform them of her arrival so they could prepare everything accordingly. After that, he and Michelle continued to walk next to each other in complete silence.

The young woman was still clearly upset and Cracker honestly had no clue how to deal with that, so he didn't even try to strike up a conversation. He really didn't like seeing her like this. The look in her eyes was so... empty, and a complete contrast to how full of life she usually was. If he was in her position he would have been mad, no doubt, but she seemed **completely** crushed because of it. _It's just a house... if this bothers her so much I'll simply buy her a new one..._ he thought to himself and glanced down at her one more time. She still had the same miserable expression on her face, and with a light scowl Cracker tore his gaze from her and fully directed his attention towards the road ahead.

Hopefully he could make her forgot about this whole ordeal soon.

~*~

**„If you'd like, I could give you one of my guest rooms,"** Cracker suggested as one of his soldiers held open the massive door of his mansion so he and Michelle could enter, **„they're a lot bigger than my staff's quarters and are all equipped with their own private bathrooms as well. Although, given how we're a 'couple' now, I think it'd be nice if you slept by my side, like a _proper_ girlfriend."**

Michelle didn't immediately reply as they stepped into the hallway, and instead just shot him a glance that said more than a thousands words could. 

Cracker quickly threw up his hands in defense. **„I'm just saying you could sleep _next_ to me. Not _with_ me, if that's what you're worried about."** he tried to explain, but the sly smirk tugging at his lips gave his true intentions away. Unconvinced, Michelle further demonstrated her scepticism by raising an eyebrow at him.

**„Look, whatever it is you're thinking, I'm not _that_ much of a deviant, little one,"** realizing that his 'charm' wasn't working, Cracker sighed in defeat and slowly shook his head, **"you say you don't want to take things further yet? ...Fine, I can respect that. I know you're going through... _something_ right now, so don't think I'd want to take advantage of you in this state."**

This time he sounded pretty sincere, which caused Michelle to slow down a little as she was beginning to genuinely think about his offer. They were walking down the large hallway side by side, seemingly without a goal so far, and the Minister was eyeing her with an anticipating look on his face. 

**"I guess... If you promise you won't try anything weird with me, we could give it a shot,"** Michelle finally replied and awkwardly rubbed over her arm. The thought of sleeping next to him somewhat worried her, for more reasons than what he might think, but she didn't want to reject him on this. Technically speaking it was normal for a couple to share a bed, wasn't it? And if he promised not to do anything funny, it should probably be okay, right?

...However, there was something else, something _arguably more important_ on her mind right now. 

Michelle hesitated for a moment before she stopped right in her tracks and lifted her head to look up at the tall man again. **"Different topic, but uhm... do you have a Den Den Mushi I could use? There's... there's someone I would really like to call."**

**"But of course! There's a small lobby with a few Transponder Snails right around the left corner-"** Cracker was now grinning like a little kid that just got the best birthday present ever, and with a happy nod he pointed her down the hallway, **"Hehe... I'll tell my servants to prepare my bedroom for your arrival at once! They shall take care of you in case you need anything. In the meantime I'll be in my office dealing with this new situation."** he was still grinning devilishly, but for some reason also seemed a bit hesitant. Much to Michelle's surprise, Cracker then bent down and in one swift motion, pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. This caught the young woman a little off-guard and almost made her flinch, but she managed to stop herself just in time. The sudden kiss felt a bit awkward, but not entirely unpleasant. Without uttering another word Cracker pulled away again, swiftly turned around, and almost _hurried_ off into the direction of his office, thus leaving Michelle all by herself in the large hallway. 

The young woman remained frozen for a moment, unsure of what just happened.

_What was that...?_ she thought while lifting a hand and carefully touched the cheek Cracker had just kissed her on. _Was this meant to be a goodbye kiss, or...?_

She slowly shook her head and lowered her hand again. _Whatever it was, it doesn't matter now. I've got something else to take care of!_

Wasting no time, Michelle quickly walked down the hallway and turned left at the corner like Cracker had pointed her to, which lead her straight into the lobby. It was a considerably small room filled with more expensive-looking furniture, something she was lowkey used to by now, and a whole array of different-sized Transponder Snails were neatly displayed ontop of a large wooden shelf against a wall. Since Cracker gave her his permission, she didn't hesitate long and immediately walked over to the shelf to gently pick up one of the larger snails; one that could hopefully reach people outside of Tottoland. She then carried the snail to a small armchair where she sat down and carefully placed the small animal in her lap. Her long slender fingers gently glided over the smooth shell as she dialed in a number and then brought the receiver close to her ear, waiting for someone to pick up.

And after just a few rings, a deep male voice greeted her on the other end.

**"Hello? Who's this?"**

A sigh of relief left Michelle's lips at the sound of the familiar voice. 

**"Hey Dad, it's me."**

**"Michelle?! Oh, we haven't heard from you in so long! Your mother and I were already starting to get a little worried!"** Matthias was audibly excited to talk to his daughter and almost shouting, which forced Michelle to hold the receiver a bit away from her ear so she wouldn't go deaf.

**"Y-yeah, sorry about that,"** she replied shyly and shifted in her seat, **"I've just been a bit busy with my new job and all. But anyway, how are you doing? Is everything okay on the ship?"**

**"Don't you worry about us, princess, we're doing fabulous! Just the other day I struck a major deal with an upcoming Rookie Pirate that got caught up in a serious fight and needed his ship to be repaired- we sold almost all of our materials, and for a hefty prize too, hoho!"** Matthias laughed, the familiar jolly tone of his voice made his daughter smile.

**"Seems like you have a knack for attracting pirates lately,"** Michelle giggled before her tone turned a bit more somber and her smile saddened, **"I'm really... _really_ glad that you're doing well."**

Picking up on the underlining sadness in her voice, her father father cleared his throat before trying to cheer her up a little; **"It's going good but it's not the same without you. We all miss you dearly here. In fact, even your brother just asked about you the other day."**

**"Oh, really? He did?"** Michelle couldn't hide her surprise at that. Her brother was quite the stoic person and they often got into fights back on the ship, so out of everyone she honestly didn't expect _him_ to miss her much.

**"Believe me, I was a bit surprised by that as well! But it just comes to show that we're still a pretty close-knit family, even after you moved out. And talking of family... would you like to hear about your mother's latest shenanigans?"**

**"Sure. What did Mom do this time?"**

**"Okay, so- you probably already know how much your mother misses you."**

**"Yeah...?"** the young woman was starting to get a little curious, not knowing where her father was going with this.

**"...So, to help ease the pain, she decided to get herself a dog from an animal shelter we visited a few islands ago."**

That almost made Michelle drop her receiver. **"She- wait, _WHAT?!_ But Mom always said there's no room for a pet on the ship!!!"** memories of back when she and her brother were still kids and begged their parents to let them have a pet immediately flashed up in her mind. And although Michelle eventually got to keep a bunny in her room for over a decade of her life, the little thing was never allowed to leave the proximity of her cabin, let alone hop around the ship. So this sounded surreal. Trying to swallow down her surprise, Michelle continued as calmly as possible. **"Where do you keep it? I mean, where is the dog sleeping? And who's taking care of it all day?"**

**"The dog is mostly hanging around the upper deck with your mother! Hoho she's spoiling the little thing rotten, it's truly quite endearing to watch!"** Matthias let out a hearty laugh, the shock in his daughter's voice of course didn't go unnoticed by him, **"and at night, she's- _well,_ given that your room is empty now, your mother more or less decided to turn it into a nursery for the little animal."**

Michelle audibly exhaled at that. Yeah. _Of course._ Now that she was gone her room was practically empty, and she knew it would have only been a matter of time until her parents turned it into a storage or something else of use. However, she never would have guessed that it might become the bedroom of a little animal. **"I guess that makes sense. But man, who'd have thought that there'll be a day when you let a dog run around the ship! At least this means Mom's got a new thing to take care of now that I'm gone, mh?"**

**"That's-... somewhat true, but she's still asking and thinking about you all the time. She really, really misses you. Just like all of us do."**

**"Yeah, I know,"** she smiled a little, **"I'll make sure to call Mom tomorrow or another day. And thanks for talking to me, dad. I'm really glad I got to hear your voice again."**

**"It was nice hearing from you as well, my dear! Oh I just wish we could come and visit you soon..."**

Michelle slowly got up from her armchair and while continuing to talk into the receiver, she carried the snail back to its shelf. **"Ehm, please let me know beforehand when you want to come over, okay? Things are... a little busy here right now, and I don't really need any surprises."**

**"Don't you worry, I promise me or your mother will give you a call before we set sail for your sweet little island!"** Matthias replied but was interrupted by a voice shouting something in the background, **"oops, it seems like we're about to weigh anchor at the next port! I would have called over your mother so she could talk to you for a moment, but I guess it's time for us to head out."**

**"That's okay! Like I said, I'll just call Mom another time."**

**"Hoho, I bet she'll be excited. Well then, goodbye my little girl! And remember to take care!"**

**"Of course. Bye Dad!"**

After hanging up, Michelle put the snail back into its place and left the lobby.

Just as she had hoped, talking with her father really helped lift her spirits a bit and also got her mind off of things. It's been a while since her last call, and after what happened today, it felt incredibly comforting to hear her father's voice again. But in a way it also tugged at her heart. For the first time since she moved to Tottoland, Michelle felt a pinch of homesickness. Her whole new life was so exciting that she rarely thought back to what it was like back on the ship, where she was surrounded by her family and friendly sailors everyday, and part of her was starting to miss that.

Once she found a new home, she'd invite them all over for a visit. That much was sure.

Michelle then began to wander through the mansion in an attempt to memorize the layout of her new, _hopefully only temporary,_ home. So far she's only really been to Cracker's office and the kitchen, which was a place she now purposefully avoided. The last thing she needed was to run into Giuseppe today.

Since she had nothing else to do she took her time to thoroughly examine everything, and thus she slowly made her way through the long hallway on the ground floor first, stopping ever so often to peek behind a door and see what was waiting on the other side.

At first most of the rooms looked like smaller versions of Cracker's office; but after a while she also discovered another kitchen and pantry, a few living and bathrooms, and what she presumed to be servant quarters at another wing of the mansion.

However the highlight of her little exploration was when she stumbled upon a gigantic library on the second floor. The discovery of this room surprised her quite a lot since Cracker _really_ didn't strike her as someone who liked to read, let alone so much. Maybe she misjudged him...? Or maybe he just kept the library for aesthetic purporses.

" **Well, this certainly puts my three bookshelves to shame,"** Michelle mumbled as she gazed around the giant room. Dozens of tall bookcases stood next to each other, some so big that they even reached the top of the ceiling. Most were filled to the brim with all sorts of different-sized books, the variety of colorful bindings added that typical Tottoland-esque playfulness to the room.

If Cracker was okay with it she would love to check out his collection and perhaps even read some of the books displayed here. Most of it was probably Tottoland lecture, and if she was lucky, the third volume of "Married to a kitchen pot" might be among them. It was the only entry of the series she didn't have at home.

As Michelle continued wandering through the mansion, something else soon caught her attention: a surprising lack of servants. Aside from herself and the average Chess Soldier patrolling through the hallway, the giant mansion was almost eerily empty today. In her eyes that was both a good and bad thing- good because it meant no one was seeing her in her dirty nightgown and with just Cracker's cape draped around her body, and bad because there was no one she could ask for directions. 

And unfortunately the bad soon started to outweigh the good, since it didn't take long until she got lost in the seemingly never-ending hallways of the third floor. After walking around the same corridor for what felt like the millionth time, a familiar pain spread through her hip and caused Michelle to limp again. Luckily it didn't take too long until a Chess Soldier found her and escorted the young woman to Cracker's chamber. Appearantly the room was just finished preparing for her, and even though Michelle was still a bit torn about moving in so quickly, she was also looking forward to getting some rest after everything that happened today.

In order to reach the Minister's bedroom they had to trail back through most of the mansion and then climb up a few staircases until they reached the top floor. The doors to his room were huge and heavy-looking, a golden CC decorated the front and immediately gave away who it belonged to. _At least you can't miss it..._ Michelle stifled a giggle and followed the soldier inside.

Of course the room was gigantic as well, since everything inside needed to be tailored to the tall Minister's size. Up until now Michelle didn't realize that it was afternoon already, the light from the setting sun streamed in through the windows and doused the large room in its golden light, making everything inside look even more noble. The walls were painted in a royal purple, just like most of the mansion, and the furniture looked as if it belonged into a luxury antique shop rather than a bedroom. One of the first things that caught Michelle's eyes was what looked like a large weapon holster placed against the wall, right above the bed, presumably for Cracker's sword. Close to said bed were also two big leather armchairs, a magenta-colored couch, three tall wooden closets, and a bit further away, another door that most likely led to a bathroom. For some reason Michelle half-expected Cracker to have a portrait of himself hung up in his bedroom, but alas there was no such thing. The only decor on one of the walls was a large picture of Biscuits Island, with the Commander's mansion being the main focus.

However, the biggest and arguably most impressive part of the whole room was the bed. It alone was almost thrice as large as Michelle's former cabin back on her parents' ship. Silky lavendar sheets and an array of fluffy pillows rested ontop of the large mattress, all of them colored in various shades of purple. The whole bed looked incredibly intimidating, but also strangely inviting. Michelle couldn't help herself and walked over to briefly touch the sheets. They were obviously made out of the finest silk and felt incredible soft to the touch, silently beckoning her to lie down. But she had to resist that temptation for now.

Once Michelle was done gawking around the room, the Chess Soldier stepped forward and informed her that most of the mansion's servants were send out earlier to buy some clothes for her. 

_Oh... is that why there was almost no one around?_ the young woman was starting to feel a little bit uneasy. It looked as if Cracker was really serious about making her live with him....

The soldier then led her to one of the large closets located to the right of the bed. Compared to the other two it looked rather new and gave off a fresh wooden smell, as if it was only build recently.

**"All of the new clothes are already sorted in. Lord Cracker wanted to make sure that you had enough to last you for a while,"** the soldier remarked before he opened the closet.

Michelle's jaw nearly dropped because of what she saw inside.

Dresses, skirts, shirts, pants, even underwear- the closet was filled to the brim with brand new clothes! And honestly she was very positively surprised at the selection- given his lusty behaviour she feared that Cracker would have ordered his servants to get her nothing but lingerie, but at first glance she saw little to none of that. Almost all of the clothes resembled stuff she would normally wear.

However the one thing that slightly bothered her was how expensive everything looked, and Michelle started to panic a little since she didn't know how to pay for all this. 

**"Thank you, but I'm afraid this is a bit too much,"** she gulped and shook her head, **"I mean, I don't even have any money on me to pay you back right now-"**

**"Lord Cracker thought you might say something like that,"** the soldier replied and nodded as Michelle hesitantly took a step forward and ran her fingers over the hem of an expensive-looking evening gown, **"but he wants you to think of this as part of the compensation for the loss of your house and all the items that got destroyed."**

Under normal circumstances she would argue against it and continue to insist on paying everything back, but considering her current situation, Michelle knew that that would be anything but smart. The truth was that she had no clothes right now, not to mention that the money she kept in her house might have been destroyed alongside everything else. So this was honestly... quite a godsend. Even if she didn't want to depend on the Minist- her _boyfriend_ too much, it'd be foolish to reject such a generous gesture.

**"Okay! Uhm, thanks for getting me new stuff to wear!"** with a grateful smile on her lips, Michelle nodded as a sign that she accepted the clothes. The Chess Soldier briefly bowed in response before taking his leave.

Once the massive doors closed behind him, the young woman walked away from the closet and over to the couch, contemplating on what to do next. She could wait for Cracker's return, or, she could try to relax and take a nap. Her eyes slowly trailed over to the other door, the one that presumably led to the bathroom. _Or,_ she could take a shower. _Yep, that sounds perfect!_ Michelle grinned and jumped up from the couch again, heading over to the door.

And, unsurprisingly, the bathroom was huge too. Basic white tiles covered the floor and walls, a few light purple rugs were spread out infront of the giant porcelain bathtub, sink, and shower; and a large mirror with a golden frame was propped up right next to the tub. Michelle made sure to check twice that the door was really locked before she slipped out of her clothes and waddled over to the shower cabin.

As soon as she turned on the faucet though the young woman realized that this wasn't really a shower, but more like a _waterfall_ to her. After tinkering around with the temperature setting for a bit she slowly stepped underneath the cascading water, careful not to slip. Needless to say, it felt amazing. The warm water was running down the curves of her body and immediately engulfed Michelle in what felt like a comforting hug that momentarily washed away her worries. The sound of the water hitting the ground beneath her feet caused the young woman to shiver, and with a content sigh Michelle leaned against the cabin wall. If she could she would lie down, close her eyes, and just focus on the feeling of the water raining down on her. This was something she actually used to do quite frequently back on her family's ship, but she always got scolded whenever her parents found out that she fell asleep in the shower again. Yeah, compared to the rest of her family, Michelle's ways of relaxing have always been... a little bit on the unusual side. 

And even though she couldn't go through with her ritual here, (plus she _really_ didn't want to risk falling asleep in Cracker's bathroom) this was still better than any shower she had before.

The sounds, the warmth, the feeling of the water against her skin- it was exactly what she needed today. 

After enjoying herself for a while Michelle noticed that her fingers were starting to turn wrinkly, so she quickly began to wash her body and hair. Once she was done she turned off the faucet, wrapped herself up in a towel, and then slowly unlocked the door to peek out into the bedroom. The sun must have set while she was showering since the room was now almost completely dark, but most importantly, it was still empty. _Good._ Michelle dried herself in record speed and then rushed over to the closet to pick something to wear for the night. Her eyes quickly fell upon a marine blue, silky but non-provocative looking nightgown. It reached just below her knees, and without any further hesitation she grabbed it along with a pair of light blue panties. As soon as she was dressed again she walked over to the right side of the bed, unsure whether she should sit down and wait for her boyfriend to come back, or try to go to sleep already.

She was definitely tired, like always after taking a nice and warm shower, but a part of her was holding Michelle back from just lying down right away. Would it really be okay? After all, she had no idea when or _if_ Cracker would return tonight. However... the silky sheets and fluffy pillows were practically calling her name, and resisting their beckoning call was getting progressively harder for the young woman. _Maybe... maybe I could just lie down for a little bit... I'll surely wake up before Cracker returns!_ Michelle nodded to herself, convinced that her little plan would work, and slowly crawled under the purple sheets.

**"Woah!"** her body immediately sunk into the soft mattress and for a moment Michelle flailed her arms around, scared that she was getting sucked into the bed. _Damn, this is a whole new level of comfy..._ she stirred around a bit, allowing herself to sink in just a little deeper. The young woman never got to sleep in a bed this soft before. Once she found the perfect position a small yawn left her lips and she finally closed her eyes, only to fall into a comforting slumber mere moments later.

~*~

Eventually her power nap was interrupted when the other half of the mattress sunk in and made Michelle roll closer to the center of the bed, until her body suddenly crashed into something solid. The young woman mumbled a complaint as she slowly opened her eyes, but what she saw next almost made her scream. Cracker's trademark grin was hovering just inches away from her face.

**"Oh, I'm sorry little one. Did I wake you?"** he teased, his grin widening as she tried to scramble away from him. What an unexpected and rude awakening.

Her eyes were locked on the tall man while she tried to move back to her side of the bed, which proved to be rather difficult because of how incredibly soft the mattress was. It was as if Michelle was trying to make her way through a large cotton candy cloud- she just kept sinking back in, and thanks to the 'pit' Cracker's large body created, it was hard for her not to roll back into him. While she was trying to fight her way through the sheets, her gaze wandered over the Minister's barely covered form, and Michelle couldn't help but gulp at what she saw. This was the first time she saw him with his hair down; his long locks framed his face and spread on the bed, almost blending in with the silky purple sheets. A quick glance down also revealed that he wasn't wearing anything aside from a simple pair of shorts, a discovery that set fire to Michelle's cheeks and instantly made her look back up at his face again.

**"I was just taking a nap! I-I'm sorry, I thought about waiting for you to come back, but I guess I was just a bit too sleepy after all..."** she tried to stutter out an explanation. Michelle was embarrassed because she let herself fall into such a deep slumber that she didn't even wake up when he entered the room, or undressed, or got into bed with her. _Curse you, extra-comfy mattress!!!_

**"You don't need to wait for me. If you're tired, you're tired."** Cracker reassured her, but he also noticed that she was still trying to scoot away from him, which made his lips twitch in amusement.

**"Scared, are we?"**

Michelle stopped her stirring for a second to shake her head. **"No, I'm just surprised! I didn't think I was going to wake up and find you lying next to me,"** she admitted and shyly lowered her gaze, **"plus, I've never shared a bed with someone before, so I'm also a little worried."**

**"Worried about what? That I'll do something to you while you're sleeping?"** Cracker asked, cocking a non-existant eyebrow at her.

**"That's- _No,_ I'm... I'm more worried that I might do something embarrassing- like snore or hit you while I'm sleeping, and then you get mad and throw me out!"** she was now visibly embarrassed and quickly grabbed one of the pillows to hide her flustered face behind.

Unable to contain his amusement, Cracker sneered loudly. **"Oh, so _that's_ it."**

His pearly white teeth flashed up in the darkness, and with a gleeful tone in his voice he added: **"Well if you need help to feel more comfortable, then let's do something that'll relax you a bit."**

Michelle perked up at that and cautiously peeked over her pillow. **"Like what?"**

**"Mh, I could think of a few things..."**

His smile widened into his usual grin again and he started to crawl towards her, like a predator closing in on its prey, and the young woman immediately had an idea of what he was talking about. Although Cracker promised her earlier today that he wouldn't do anything weird, something told her that he might have forgotten about that by now. She had to come up with a distraction, quick!

**"Wait, I just remembered- there's something I wanted to ask you! How did you know about my size?!"** without thinking much Michelle blurted out the first thing on her mind, and then quickly added; **"f-for the clothes, I mean!"**

Cracker momentarily stopped his crawling, the sudden question caught him a little offguard. **"Huh? Oh, I simply guessed,"** he replied with a shrug and then shamelessly let his eyes roam over her barely clothed body, **"and it seems like I wasn't too far off..."**

A deep chuckle left his lips and he started to move closer again. **"Now-"**

**"Wait, I have another question!"** she immediately interrupted him again. There was only a small gap left between them, and she swore she could already feel the heat radiating off of his body.

**"Sure, go on."** Cracker sighed, waving with his hand in an unenthusiastic manner.

**"Now that we're dating... will that change anything for you? I mean you're in such a high position and I'm just a random kitchen maid... Aren't you scared that it might negatively impact your reputation if people find out about this?"**

**"Well..."** Cracker thought about that for a moment, but then seemed to brush it off again. **„of course people will find out about this eventually,"** he propped his elbow up against a pillow and rested his chin ontop of his hand, **„they always do. There might be some rumors here and there, but no citizen in their right mind would dare to openly speak about what's going on behind my doors. Don't worry, it would turn into a problem for _them_ rather than _me._ As long as my more talkative brothers and sisters don't catch wind of us and snitch to Mama, there's nothing for you to worry about."**

Michelle was a bit hesitant to further ask about it, but she couldn't help her growing curiosity. **"What would happen if your mother found out...?"**

He tsked dismissively. **"She'd probably give me a call and ask whether it's true or not. Mama is not a fan of us engaging in non-arranged relationships, but as long as it isn't anything serious she's usually okay with us having a little fun. However since I'm a Minister she probably wouldn't want me to be seen with a commoner, and demand that I break it off sooner or later."**

Ouch. That sounded almost exactly like what Umi told her. **"I-I see..."**

**"But as I said, as long as she doesn't find out we'll be fine. So don't get upset, little one. As a matter of fact, doesn't it excite you? Hehe, I thought you young women were always swooning for that 'forbidden romance' stuff."** he chuckled about his last statement.

But Michelle didn't care, she was already moving on to the next topic. **„You know, talking of which- if our 'relationship' progresses, do you think you could stop calling me little one? You once told me that you don't like it when I call you my 'boyfriend' because you're not a little boy, and well, I'm not a little thing."**

**"Mh...."** Cracker's expression turned thoughtful once again, but then he grinned at her. **„Of course, but that means I'll need to come up with a new nickname for you!"**

The young woman threw him a confused look, so he explained: **"Just calling you Michelle all the time is far too boring. Not only won't I get to see your face burning up, but it's also just not entertaining in the long run!"**

**"And are... nicknames something you use with every women you like?"** Michelle asked, her voice sounding a little torn.

**„Actually, no, I don't,"** he confessed with a light chuckle, **„but then again, none of the women before ever reacted as adorable as you do."**

**"Huh, is that so..."** she mumbled and looked down for a second, when she lifted her head again a small, tired smile appeared on her lips, **"well, what kind of nickname are you thinking of? Not something pervy, I hope!"**

Cracker tapped a finger against his chin and then smiled back at her. **„Mhhh... considering our 'odd' relationship... and how young and sweet you are... how does Sugar Cookie sound to you? Better than little one?"**

_Sugar Cookie? That's surprisingly wholesome..._ Michelle slowly nodded, although she still felt somewhat skeptical. **„And you... _really_ didn't call that anyone before me...?"**

**„No, I promise this is a legit first for me. See, I'm willing to try something special, _just for you,_ if that makes you happy."**

**"Alright, I believe you,"** Michelle nodded again, this time more enthusiastically, and her face brightened up, **"Sugar Cookie- of course, you're the Minister of Biscuits after all! Yeah, I really like that!"** she giggled shyly. _This is awesome! Maybe he'll stop treating me like some small thing now too!_

**„Good. Hehe, my little Sugar Cookie... _how fitting..._ because some 'sugar' is just what I need right about now...!"**

**"Wha-?"** before she could ask what he meant by that, Cracker suddenly rolled ontop of her and buried his face in the crook of her neck while tickling her sides with his large hands.

At first she was confused and didn't know what he was doing, but then one of his fingers brushed against a sensitive spot just below her ribcage, which made her burst out into a giggle. Said giggle quickly turned into loud laughter as Cracker continued to assault that tickly spot by pinching, stroking, and tapping his fingertips against it.

_Aaaaahhh what is happening?!? WHY IS HE TICKLING ME???_ Michelle still had no clue what was happening, but it didn't take long until she started to kick around with her legs and tried to wiggle out of the tall man's grip. Her laughter was growing louder and louder and she began to fear that she was waking up the whole mansion with it. And, ontop of that, tears were also starting to form at the corner of her eyes and soon blurred her vision. It was no use, the more she struggled the worse Cracker's tickle attacks got. Unable to free herself and deciding that offense was the best defense, Michelle reached out with her own hands and began to run her fingertips over the parts of his neck and upper torso that she could reach, searching for any weak spots, before she began to tickle him back.

Eventually Cracker started to groan and then snickered as well, signaling her that she found a good spot.

The young woman wasted no time and immediately began to tickle him there as strong as she could, which earned her some throaty chuckles and eventually loud laughs from the tall man. For a few moments they were both evenly matched, but then Cracker stopped his tickle assault to grab both of Michelle's wrists in his hands, forcing her to stop as well. By now tears were streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall and her sides were hurting from all the laughing. Michelle looked up at him with a tired expression, trying to catch her breath.

**„Wow.... I didn't take you for someone.... who'd start something as silly... as a tickle fight."** she panted, but also couldn't suppress a small grin.

**„Oh, I have my moments. Besides, didn't I tell you that I knew something that would make you feel more comfortable?"** he grinned back and let go of her wrists before reaching out with one of his hands to gently rub her cheek and wipe away some of her tears in the process.

Michelle genuinely smiled at that and hugged his wide neck with her small arms. In return Cracker peppered her skin with kisses, humming blissfully when she ran her fingers through his long hair. However what started out playful quickly turned heated as he began to nip and suck on her neck, which caused the young woman to giggle again. At first she thought he was still trying to play around, but then he sucked on a particularly sensual spot, one she didn't even know existed, and it made her groan embarrassingly loud. Michelle's eyes widened and she could feel Cracker chuckle against her skin.

**"You like that, don't you~?"**

As usual her first instict was to push him away, but this time something was holding her back. There was no denying it, he was right- this felt... _very_ nice. The young woman never experienced something like this before, the sensation of his mouth sucking on her neck sent intense sparks of pleasure down her spine and into the pit of her stomach. Soon enough it became difficult for Michelle to keep her voice down. Gasps and moans escaped her mouth, and they only grew louder when Cracker took her skin between his teeth and nibbled at it, before softly biting down.

She vaguely remembered him doing something similiar at the restaurant, but this was different. The young woman was starting to trust him more and for the first time ever, she fully allowed herself to enjoy his ministrations. Closing her eyes, she tightly held onto his neck for support while her boyfriend continued to mark her sensitive skin with his mouth. Michelle felt as if she was just floating on the soft mattress; with the weight of Cracker's body being the only thing that kept her from flying away. It felt incredible- but unfortunately, her pleasant bliss didn't last long. Suddenly, one of Cracker's hands slowly started to wander down her sides and lifted up the bottom of her nightgown to crawl underneath it, which sparked a feeling of panic in Michelle's chest. At first she tried to ignore it and just focus on his mouth on her neck, but then his head also began to wander down, covering her skin in kisses and soft bitemarks until he reached her collarbone. At the same time his other hand crept back up and gave her right breast a soft yet firm squeeze, which automatically caused Michelle to press her hands against his chest to get some distance between them. This was too much!

**„ _Okay!_ Cracker, I, uh, I think it's time we go to sleep. Y-You probably have a lot of work tomorrow, don't you?"** her cheeks were on fire again, but this time it wasn't out of embarrassment. It was... something else. A feeling she couldn't quite name yet.

The tall man ceased his kissing for a moment and seemed to hesitate, as if he was struggling with himself, but then he sighed against her skin and pulled away.

**„Yeah, I do."** he muttered, and although he moved away from her, his hold on her body didn't immediately loosen.

Michelle waited for a moment, unsure if she should do something, and just stared right back at him. His eyes stayed locked on her face for a moment before he completely rolled off her and back onto his side of the bed.

A small sigh of relief left her lips. **"Oh, and before I forget- thank you again for taking me in and even buying me clothes... That's all very nice of you."** she offered him a warm smile.

**"Don't mention it. I can't have you running around in a nightgown all day, can I? Now close your eyes and get some rest. Who knows what'll happen tomorrow."** Cracker yawned and gave her head a pat before he turned around and pulled the blankets over his body.

**"Alright! Good night."** still smiling to herself, Michelle turned around as well. She felt really exhausted, even more so after their little tickle fight. _What a day..._ she thought and soon drifted off into dreamland as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original title of this chapter was „Who ate my house?" but I thought that might have been a bit too on the nose lol. Soooo.... this took a whole lot longer than I had hoped (rip).
> 
> But look, Michelle is finally living with her new boo!!! All thanks to some rather unfortunate circumstances.... How will their dynamic change now that she's sharing the same bed as Cracker? In the next chapter she finally gets to meet another member of the Charlotte Family, and of course, more Crachelle shenanigans are upon us as well!!!! However, I won't lie, my motivation to write has been rather low for a while now and opening a document makes me feel super anxious. So even though I really want to finish this story as fast as I can, it still has to be at my own pace :'D I'm really proud of what I've written so far and absolutely adore my precious little fanfic, so even if I don't update in a while, it's not because I forgot! Writing long chapters is just a whole lot of work, much more than I had anticipated when I first started this story x'D Buuuut enough moping around. As usual, thank you very much for reading! If you spot any mistakes, please let me know ;D
> 
> Michelle, SIGNING OFF-


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